PANJIM: Despite the fishing ban getting lifted on Wednesday, a majority of the trawlers won’t be venturing to the sea as migrant labourers from Odisha and Jharkhand are yet to report to duty. However, trawlers owners have kept their fingers crossed hoping that complete fishing activity will begin soon.
Speaking to Herald, Mandovi Fisherman Cooperative Society vice-chairman Francis D’souza said, “None of the trawlers will be venturing into the sea tomorrow (Wednesday) even as the fishing ban is officially lifted as the migrant labourers have still not reported for duty. They travel to their native places in Odisha and Jharkhand.”
He added, “They had said that they would be reaching Goa on July 25 but till now they haven’t shown up. We are expecting them here by August 10. Also due to fear of the police some of the labourers delay returning to the State to work on fishing trawlers.”
However, some trawlers owners said they are ready to venture into the sea despite the labour shortage stating that their catch will be less as compared with the full-fledged workforce.
The delay in the arrival of the labourers has put the trawler owners to inconvenience as some maintenance work of the anchored trawlers and fishing boats is still pending.
It is learnt that the labourers deliberately return late as they feel safe to venture into the sea only after the monsoon turns weak.
The ban from June 1 to July 31 has been enforced in Goa since 1981. For two year in 2002 to 2004 it was extended to 75 days but was later withdrawn by the government. The main objectives of the fishing ban are to allow several species of fish to spawn and to prevent fishermen from risking their lives in the choppy seas during the monsoon.
