Team Herald
MARGAO: The Director of Fisheries in an advisory to fishermen issued on Monday has only instructed on how the sale should carried out despite stating that “open sale of fish” is prohibited. Besides, it has remained silent on earlier orders banning fishing activity or trawlers going out to sea.
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Due to this, trawler owners at Cutbona jetty are in a quandary as the privileged few having political connections are allegedly unloading their fish just next to the Cutbona jetty with the police turning a Nelson’s eye to their activity.
The truck that was seized by Cuncolim police a few days ago was transporting fresh fish and not frozen one from cold storages as permitted by the government. The fish in the seized truck was subsequently auctioned but the successful bidder’s name was not declared.
“The successful bidder was the same person who was transporting the fish,” alleged a trawler owner and member of the Cutbona Boat Owners’ Development Board, who preferred not to be named fearing harassment from the authorities.
More significant is the fact that the fish auctioned was not tested for contaminants especially as a truck load of frozen fish taken from Goa to Kerala was dumped because it was “contaminated” as it was laced with formalin.
It is learnt that one person, who runs a famous restaurant at Benaulim and has more than 10 trawlers, has been unloading his vessels across the Cutbona jetty at Mobor. There are some trawler owners, who unload their vessels next to the Cutbona Jetty in front of the residential houses existing therein.
It is alleged that police are aware of these unloading but are no taking action but only patrol the jetty as the restaurant owner has powerful connections while those anchoring in front of the residential houses are close to Fisheries Minister Filipe Neri Rodrigues.
It is pertinent to note that the Fisheries Director on March 24th had issued a notice stating that “all fishermen of the State are requested not to venture into sea for fishing until further notice.” However on March 29 the director issued an order allowing vessels to unload their catch at the jetties till April 2.
But this order also stated that trawlers that unload at the jetty and leave it “will not be allowed to return to the jetty till lockdown is lifted by government.” And till date, the department is silent on these two orders and that is why there is no movement at Cutbona jetty.
To make matters worse, the order issued on April 5 by Fisheries Secretary P S Reddy has further worsened the fate of the smaller trawler owners and they allege that the order was specifically issued only to help select few trawler owners.
The order says: “Most vessels unloaded during lockdown store in cold storages/processing plants” and further goes on to say that societies should contact these plants and sell the fish in insulated trucks or mobile vans in Goa.
However, trawler owners alleged that only one – the hotelier – has stored his catch at the processing units because he has taken one such unit on lease and added that the order was for this person to sell his catch.
