Team Herald
CUTBONA: The situation continued to remain tense in Cutbona, with the traditional fishermen and purse seiners involved in a heated confrontation on Thursday evening at the jetty.
It is pertinent to note that at Cutbona, unlike the Panjim demonstrations by the ramponkars against the Fisheries Department, the traditional fishermen came face to face with the purse seine trawler owners.
On Wednesday, the traditional ramponkars had blocked the entrance of the jetty and had carried out their protests, demanding the immediate implementation of the ban on LED lights.
The tension began on Thursday evening, when some purse seine trawlers that were at sea on Wednesday returned to the jetty.
At first, the traditional fishermen did not allow the purse seiners to board the jetty till their demands were met. The ramponkars, who also showed solidarity with the protesters in Panjim, felt that the government was not serious about implementing the ban and added that they would not be satisfied until they see action being taken against all violators.
This led to heated words between the rival groups. However, Salcete Deputy Collector Ajit Panchwadkar, along the mamlatdar, police and other authorities, intervened and the matter was temporarily resolved on Thursday evening, although the situation is still tense.
When Panchwadkar explained that the government had issued the notification and was serious about implementing the ban, the ramponkars allowed the trawlers to enter the jetty.
The purse seiners, who listened to what the authorities had to say, said they would decide their course of action at a meeting after the Deputy Collector instructed them to remove the banned items as per the notification.
However, sources stated that the purse seiners, who are upset with the notification, are mulling challenging the notification in the court as they point out that the use of LED lights is practiced elsewhere.
