VASCO: Goenchea Ramponkarancho Ekvott (GRE) president Agnelo Rodrigues on Tuesday slammed the Fisheries Department failing to initiate action against the bull trawling carried out by Malpem trawlers in the State’s territorial waters.
The GRE said the Fisheries Department in 2016 and the Central Government in 2017 banned bull trawling in the territorial waters and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). However, till date hundreds of trawlers from Karnataka are operating within the territorial waters of the State and continue to use the banned destructive gears without the fear of law or Government of Goa.
“If this continues there could be a law and order situation and only the State government will be responsible for any untoward incident”, GRE warned.
GRE general secretary Olencio Simoes demanded that the illegal boats from Malpem be impounded and strict action be initiated against the owners who have been repeatedly violating the rules.
He appealed to Fisheries Minister Filipe Nery Rodrigues to direct the Fisheries Department to strictly implement the law on banned gears and boats from Malpem.
“If the violation continues then it is certain that Goa, which is second State for the export of fish will head towards fish extinction of wild fisheries and soon Goa will join the other countries such as Norway, Denmark, Oman, New Zealand, Australia and others where fisheries came to halt due to such destructive gears”, he said.
The GRE warned the Fisheries Department that if the Malpem boats are let free without initiating any strict action then in future the traditional fishermen will be forced to take law into their hands.
