13 Aug 2019  |   05:53am IST

Will ensure no unregulated and disastrous fishing, says Fisheries Minister

Plans to use modern technology to check exploitation of natural resources
Will ensure no unregulated and disastrous  fishing, says Fisheries Minister

Team Herald:


MARGAO: Fisheries Minister Felipe Neri Rodrigues said his focus would be to ensure that there is no “unregulated and disastrous” fishing done in Goa.

He admitted that unregulated activities have been going on practically at all the jetties in the State and said that the department will have to pull up its sock to regulate the operations at the jetty and that this will be his main priority. 

 “We have to respect the natural resources and the department will have to monitor how it is exploited and use modern technology for that purpose,” he said, while disclosing plans to acquire the required modern technology.

He said he will introduce mechanism including the necessary software to enable the department to track a trawler the moment it enters the channel leading to the jetty and also estimate the amount of catch it is bringing in.

“Right now, unfortunately we do not have such tracking mechanism and hence have to rely upon the figure given by the trawler owner who very often gives a lower figure to hide the fact that there has been over exploitation,” he said.

Felipe listed the conflict between mechanized boat owners and traditional fishermen as another issue that he will have to solve and added that he would like to resolve this conflict that has been going on for years once and for all.

“The trawler owners as well as the ramponnkars are our Goan brethren and I think this conflict between them has to be resolved somehow to bring about real unity and brotherhood in Goa,” he said while assuring that he is determined to resolve it. 

He also admitted that presently the sand bar formed at the mouth of River Sal that is preventing the boats from going to the sea, needs to be removed on priority. “While usually the sand bar was formed every year this year it is of a bigger size and has to be mechanically dredged and removed,” he said.

Earlier, the sand bar would disappear during the monsoons and trawlers would be able to cross it during high tide which is not possible now. Besides getting the Director of Fisheries and marine surveyor to inspect the sand bar, Felipe is also negotiating with private dredgers to remove the bar.

Elvis Gomes of the Cutbona Trawlers and Boat Owners Association appreciated the manner in which the Fisheries Minister has attended to their problems and the keen interest he has taken in removing the sand bar at River Sal.

However, he said there were some issues that the minister should look into and topping he list was the cleanliness at the Cutbona fishing jetty as all the waste is just dumped in the river thereby polluting it.

Besides, he said at least 50 toilets are required given the fact that the work force there is over 2,000 and he lamented that the department is not providing drinking water, which is given only by the trawler owner’s societies.

Former MLA and President of Cutbona Fisheries Co-operative Society Benjamin Silva while pointing to the sand bar that needs to be addressed lamented that somebody went to the court and the proposal to construct a retaining wall to stop formation of the sand bar was stalled.

He also said that the 20 toilets at Cutbona are not sufficient and pointed out that they had asked for 54 which are yet to be provided.  

IDhar UDHAR

Idhar Udhar