TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: The government’s decision to increase the fishing ban period by 15 days has resulted in fishermen netting bigger shrimps after the ban was lifted, fisheries minister Avertano Furtado claimed Friday.
Speaking to Herald, one week after the fishing season has begun, Furtado said that the only indication he has received so far about the benefits of an extended ban is the size of the shrimps.
“The only indications we have received so far are that the trawlers are catching bigger shrimps. The solar prawns they caught this year are bigger than in previous years,” Furtado told Herald.
Solar shrimps are mostly caught by trawlers venturing from the Cutbona jetty in Salcete as their presence in the waters around North Goa is comparatively less.
The government imposed 60-day long monsoon fishing ban period ended on July 31. But due to the rough weather the fishing season got off to a slow start. With favourable weather during this week and the meteorological department lifting the warning for fishermen from venturing into the sea, most of the trawlers have begun their season’s first forays of the season into the sea.
While fisheries minister said that over the last eight days most of the trawlers have started going to sea, Menino Afonso the president of the Mandovi Fishermen’s Cooperative society said that the it is only over the last two days that the trawlers have started going and as of Friday only 25% of the total have actually ventured out into sea.
“The problem is of labour. Most of our workers haven’t yet returned from their native places. Goans are also not willing to work on board even if it is just for a few days. They just want to sit or prefer other work,” he said.
Afonso said that it was too early to say whether there was any effect of an extended ban period. “Once the season starts in full swing we will be able to gauge the benefits if any,” he said.
He however said he was skeptical that there would be any real benefits especially since the government allows the motorized canoes to fish during the ban period.
“Recently there was an incident where a canoe capsized and some people drowned. The government does not allow the big, stronger trawlers to go out but allows the canoes to be at the mercy of the rough monsoon seas. Where is the concern for their safety,” he asked even as he said the canoes were also responsible for catching fish while breeding.
He said the forthcoming week would be a crucial indicator on how the season will proceed and whether the longer ban period would result in a bigger catches.
That the price of fish is still high in the markets is indicative that the season hasn’t really caught up yet.
