TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
MARGAO: As many as four motorised canoes capsized off Benaulim and Colva coast on Sunday as the hunt for prized solar shrimps began Sunday.
Life guards rescued all the crew members onboard the ill-fated canoes, while two of them were shifted to the Hospicio hospital for treatment and observation. Three canoes capsized off Benaulim and one canoe capsized at Colva after being hit by a huge wave while returning back with the catch.
At Colva, 12 members of the ill-fated canoe were rescued by life guards with the help of four jet skis. Supervisor Vithal Chari said that the incident occurred at around 4.30 pm when the point life guard intimated to the tower that a canoe has capsized close to the shore. “We immediately pressed out a jet ski into operation and requisitioned jet skis from neighbouring Benaulim and Betalbatim as a backup. While two of the crew members were rushed to the Hospicio in a life guard jeep, another crew member was treated by an 108 ambulance at Colva before giving him a discharge,” Chari said.
At Benaullim, two motorised canoes are believed to have capsized near Taj, and the remaining one at the beach. The incident at Benaulim beach occurred at around 3.45 pm when the canoe was returning back with the catch. All the 11 crew members on board the ill-fated canoe were rescued by life guards with the help of two skis, informed Boat captain Ulhas Velip.
Sources informed that another canoe had capsized off Taj at around 10.30 am while trying to venture out into the sea, while another capsized in the evening, sources said.
Meanwhile, Fisheries Minister, Avertano Furtado on Sunday said the coastal police and other authorities
will crack down with a heavy hand against motorised canoes venturing out into the sea in violation of the fishing ban.
Avertano told Herald that he has spoken to SP Allan De Sa on the need to maintain strict vigil on the activities of motorised canoes since there were reports that many of them had ventured out into the sea with mini-purse seine fishing nets. “I have received reports that the canoes have used purse seine nets while going out for fishing. There’s ban on the use of purse seine nets. The authorities will crack a whip against any canoes going out for fishing in violation of the ban,” he warned.
Replying to a question, he said life guards rescued all the crew members on board the ill-fated motorised canoes at Benaulim and Colva. “There were four incidents of motorised canoes capsizing off Benaulim and Colva. The coastal police will maintain strict vigil during the next three days,” he added.
