PANJIM: Fishermen were left shell-shocked when they netted plastic waste along with the fish at Caranzalem beach. Plastic containers, liquor bottles, metal cans and other trash were cleaned from the sea. The fishermen claimed that the authorities had turned a blind eye to tourists throwing trash in the sea.
The fishermen claimed that due to plastic waste being found in abundance in the sea, the quantity and quality of the fish have decreased drastically.
On Wednesday morning, like usual the fishermen from Caranzalem ventured into the sea but to their surprise, instead of fish, they netted garbage. This indicates the level of pollution in the sea. Fishermen claim that tourists visiting the beach throw the garbage on the beach and the waste gets washed away from the beach into the sea.
“People come here at night to consume alcohol and throw away the bottles. Not only locals, but tourists visit to party and the waste is dumped on the beach and then lands into the sea. It is very difficult, for us to fish. Despite knowing the situation, the government is not taking any legal action,” expressed a frustrated fisherman.
Further adding to their plight, the fishermen pointed out that the CCTV surveillance, which has been installed by the authorities, serves no purpose as they are non-functional. No official is deployed to conduct patrolling. They claim that they are receiving laid-back behaviour from the government.
This in turn has affected the fishermen’s livelihood. The fishermen demand the government deploy an official to patrol the area at least once a week and ensure the sea is cleaned.
