Team Herald
MARGAO: In view of the complaints by Cutbona trawler owners regarding the navigation channel at the mouth of River Sal, Fisheries Minister Avertano Furtado stated that the government was constructing a retaining wall to mitigate the problem.
The government has been trying to carry out various works at Cutbona in favour of the boat owners, but the panchayat, locals and traditional fishermen have raised objections on various grounds. While the panchayat recently gave a provisional license for the expansion of the fishing jetty, the retaining wall has been a long-pending demand of the fishing community. In October 2014, Velim MLA Benjamin Silva sought to allay apprehensions of traditional fishermen from Velim-Betul regarding the construction of the retaining wall.
Former Cutbona Boat Owners’ Union (CBOU) President Patrick D’Silva advocated a scientific approach in solving the sandbar issue and felt that if it was corrected, the mouth of the river Sal would open up and become easier for boats to navigate. He added that presently each trawler suffered losses due to the river’s mouth.
“During hostile weather conditions and due to the sandbars, the navigational channel is not very safe. We are forced to anchor at various places from Vasco to Cabo de Rama until the weather returns to normal. This greatly affects the number of trips we make,” said another former CBOU president Cirpiano Cardozo.
