MARGAO: Terming the attitude of the Coast Guard and its captain as highly ‘irresponsible’, agitated boat owners on Friday demanded confiscation of the Coast Guard ship and the immediate arrest of the ship captain for the loss of lives and damage to the fishing vessel Sea Messiah on Thursday.
They have further demanded compensation to the boat owner Martin Fernandes and the kith and kin of the crew members either dead or missing.
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Since the Coast Guard has promised to complete their inquiry within three days, the boat owners said they will chalk out their future course of action if their demands are not fulfilled by then.
Addressing the media at the Cutbona Fishing jetty, President of Cutbona Boat Owners Union Patrick D’Silva said the Coast Guard has verbally agreed at a meeting with Fisheries Minister, Avertano Furtado, Fisheries Director and boat owners that their vessel was involved in the mid-sea mishap with the fishing vessel. “The attitude of the coast guard ship captain was highly irresponsible. The coast guard is supposed to take care of the common man at sea. Unfortunately, after the trawler was hit by the vessel, the Coast guard captain fled from the scene,” Patrick said, while demanding the arrest of the ship Captain.
The boat owners also urged the Goa government and the Centre to act immediately and confiscate the Coast Guard ship and arrest the captain to honour the rule of law. The government has so far done nothing in the matter, he lamented.
Chairman of All Goa Fishing Federation John Mendes said the government should conduct a probe since a Coast Guard vessel was involved in the mishap, while boat owner Roosevelt Alemao said it is a sad tragedy that the coast guard vessel fled from the spot after hitting the fishing vessel.
Meanwhile, the fishing net of the capsized Sea Messiah was brought from the mid-sea to the Cutbona fishing jetty.
Meanwhile, Goa Governor B V Wanchoo has expressed distress over the boat tragedy and has conveyed his condolences and sympathy to the bereaved family of the deceased.
…Fear flight of labour
MARGAO: Boat owners fear that the mid-sea mishap would send a wrong signal to the migrant labour hailing from the States of Jharkhand, Bihar and Orissa.
President of Cutbona Boat Owners Union Patrick D’Silva reminded the Goa government that the State’s mechanized fishing industry is dependent on the migrant labour. “If the government fails to do justice in this case, it will send wrong signals to the migrant work force.”
This will spell doom for the local fishing industry,” he feared.
He has made a fervent appeal to Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar to intervene and work out a solution and meet the demands of the boat owners.
Another boat owner said migrant work force would not dare to come to Goa if they know the high handed behaviour of the security agencies such as the Coast guard. “Our government should intervene and do justice,” he demanded.
