Team Herald
PANJIM: Fisheries Minister Vinod Palyekar on Tuesday said that all fishermen will get Radio Frequency Identity (RFID) cards before the beginning of the new season in August.
“This year we have initiated the process of issuing RFID cards to fishermen on trawlers, well in advance. When the fishing ban commences on June 1, we will start the process of collecting data about the crew and they will be issued the cards,” Palyekar said.
He added, “Fishermen have to renew their cards by submitting details every year as new people are added. Some fishermen try to go to sea without cards but they are eventually caught by marines and booked for violating the law.”
He said that Fisheries Department had learnt lessons from its past mistake when RFID cards were issued after a delay when the new fishing season had already begun.
The matter was also raised during the monsoon session of the Assembly wherein the opposition had alleged a delay in the issue of the cards, in absence of which fishermen were not allowed to venture into the sea despite the end of fishing ban.
