MARGAO: The All Goa Small Scale Responsible Fisheries Union has called for a complete overhaul of the Fisheries administration in Goa following a lack of response to their complaints about illegal fishing in the Zuari River, which they say destroys marine ecology and deprives small-scale fishers of their livelihood support system based on fishing. They added that they have been filing such complaints for over a month now.
The Union referred to their recent complaint about how five trawlers were carrying out alleged illegal trawling in the Zuari River on December 30, 2023, from 8.30 pm, by switching off their lights.
“The complaint was lodged with the control room of the Fisheries department over the phone. The response from the Fisheries Control room was of helplessness and inability to do anything as there was no staff available to take the patrol boat from Panjim Jetty to the Zuari River,” the Union leaders added.
“All the above indicate that there is match fixing between trawlers engaged in illegal night fishing and the Fisheries administration: nexus of corruption,” they added further.
The union also criticised the Fisheries Minister Nilkanth Halarnkar and claimed he had proved to be incompetent when it came to dealing with the alleged illegal trawling that takes place in the Zuari River, where such ‘loot’ was being carried out with fear of the law. This is not the first time that the Union has criticised the Fisheries Department for failing to take action, despite public assurances made by the Minister in the past that action would be taken on any such illegalities.
