TEAM HERALD
MARGAO: Director of Fisheries Dr Sharmila Monteiro has urged boat owners to avail benefits of the subsidised power block scheme, which would help them to reduce manpower on the vessels.
Presently, Goa’s mechanised fishing industry is heavily dependent on migrant labour and with just 10 days to go for the new fishing season to begin mechanised boat owners are heading to the states of Odisha and Jharkhand in search of workforce to man their vessels.
And with the Fisheries Department subsidy scheme not yet popular amongst boat owners, fishing vessels are once again expected to depend heavily on the migrant work force this season. Says President of Cutbona Boat Owners Union, Seby Cardozo: “It’s true that the installing the power blocks would help reduce the manpower on the vessels, especially the purse seine fishing, but many of the boat owners have so far not opted for the blocks.”
Dr Monteiro said that the boat owners should avail benefits of the subsidised power block scheme. “Though many have not applied for the scheme, the boat owners are free to avail the subsidised scheme any time. I cannot off hand give the figures on the number of boat owners that have applied for the scheme,” she said.
