MARGAO: Various fishing societies from Vasco including the Goenchea Ramponkarancho Ekvott (GRE), Old Cross Fishing Canoe Owners Co-op, and Baina Ramponkars and Fishing Canoe Owners submitted a memorandum to the Fisheries Minister and placed their problems and demands before him.
They urged the government to enforce the CRZ notification of 2011/2019 and regularise all fishermen’s houses and called for the constitution of “District Level Committees” to legalise traditional houses as mandated by the CRZ notification.
The fishermen stressed that their homes, which are not used for commercial activities and have not been transferred to non-traditional communities, should be regularised.
The memorandum highlighted the plight of fishermen in Baina and Kariawado, where ten ancestral houses were demolished by government authorities. Despite the establishment of the CRZ Act in 1991, which predates the construction of these homes, the government has not provided any compensation or reconstruction.
Fishermen lamented the lack of financial support available to them as compared to farmers and requested access to interest-free loans from banks and other government financial institutions like NABARD. The fishermen expressed frustration over the ongoing violation of the Supreme Court order that bans mechanized trawlers from fishing within 5 nautical miles of the coast and called for a strict implementation of this regulation to protect their livelihoods.
The memorandum also demanded a ban on destructive fishing methods and gears such as LED lights, purse seine, twin trawling, pair trawling, and bull trawling as they were not only environmentally harmful but also threatened the future of marine fishing.
The fishermen charged that authorities were turning a blind eye to the incursion of illegal boats from Karnataka’s Malpe into Goa’s territorial waters. and demanded that this be stopped.
Given the frequent cyclones and rough weather, fishermen face heavy losses as their gear is often destroyed or washed away, the fishermen demanded an insurance policy to protect their equipment, including canoes, outboard motors, and nets, to safeguard their livelihoods.
They also demanded for a hike in petrol subsidy to 4500 liters per year.
“Initially, petrol subsidies were provided to every registered canoe, but this has been reduced to one per family and this is unfair,” the fishermen said and demanded that the SGPDA wholesale fish market in Fatorda be handed over to them.
The fishermen asked for extending the monsoon fishing ban from 61 to 90 days, as 90% of the fish caught by trawlers during this period are juvenile fish. An extended ban would help protect fish populations and ensure sustainable fishing practices.
Lastly, the fishermen request that the net subsidy be provided every 2.5 years instead of every 5 years.
