Call for complete ban on both motorised canoes as well as mechanised fishing trawlers
TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
MARGAO: Even as mechanised boat owners have opposed relaxation of the ban on fishing by motorised canoes, a fresh row has erupted on Wednesday, with fresh mackerels hitting the retail fish markets.
President of Cutbona Boat Owners Union Seby Cardozo pointed out that catching mackerels at this time of the year when the fish comes in the shallow waters for breeding defeats the very purpose of the ban. “Mackerels available in the Margao retail fish market have come from Goa coast. I tried to clean them and to my shock, they had breeding eggs. The government should immediately stop this if its intention is to ensure growth of fish,” Cardozo added.
He said that if mechanised canoes are allowed to catch fish during the ban period, it will only lead to destruction of fish. “This destruction will be reduced considerably if the motorised canoes are banned from fishing along with mechanised trawlers. There ought to be a complete ban on both motorised canoes as well as mechanised fishing trawlers,” he demanded.
Government’s decision to relax ban on fishing by motorised canoes with 10-HP engines and gill nets have not gone down well with boat owners. A delegation of boat owners from the Cutbona and Vasco fishing jetties called on the Fisheries Minister Avertano Furtado and Fisheries Director Sharmila Monteiro and insisted on a blanket ban on fishing during the 61-day period.
Fisheries Minister Avertano Furtado told Herald this evening that he has assured the boat owners that the matter will be discussed with the Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar. “From the next fishing season, the government will come out well in advance the fishing ban period as well as banning all stake holders from fishing during the period,” he added.
