1. Whatis the main issue faced by the trawler owners here in Betim?
The FishingIndustry in Goa faces a lack of funds, so much so that we have had todiscontinue the services of a few boats. From maintenance, to paying for thelabour, ice, diesel etc it is not affordable or profitable. As a result, a lotof our trawlers have been discontinued. The government is supposed to give us a subsidy, and hopefully using thatsubsidy might help us at least break even.
2. Whatis the current expenditure faced by trawlers on a regular basis?
Thegreatest expenditure is diesel. We pay approximately Rs70,000/- to Rs80,000/-for 10 days. There is also the expenditure of ice which amounts toapproximately Rs7,000/-- Rs8,000/- per trip. Labour amounts to about 25000/-per trip. So all in all, a trip of 10 days costs about a lakh.
3. Whyis it that the industry faces such a problem with cash flow?
The reasonwhy we are lacking in funds is because of the high speed boats operating fromKarnataka here. If the fish swim at 20 km those boats travel at 30km and hencethey end up catching everything in the water. High speed engines should bebanned if this industry has to survive.
4. Whatare the current speeds that your boats have?
The highestspeeds our boats have are 160 horse power. The Karnataka boats operate at300-400 horse power.
5. Whatdo you think can be done about these boats that have a much higher HP?
We havespoken to the Chief Minister about this issue and he has concurred with us. Heis in the process of requesting the Karnataka government to control theiroperations of high speed boats. It remains to be seen if he will succeed inconvincing them. Only time will tell.
6. Ifthe CM does succeed in convincing their government, how will it help theindustry?
Once thehigh speed boats are under control, there will be a greater availability offish. That in turn will reduce the market rate and make fish more affordable.There will also be a greater variety of fish available. The balance needs to bemaintained in the sea if this industry is to continue, and the product is to bemade available to the public
What about the fishing ban?
The fishingban is in effect for 45 days, the same as it was last year. We were hoping foran extension of 75 days, but maybe next year. As of now it is from the June 15 tillthe July 31 at a low rate.
Reis Magos Fort: Where The Past is now Present
The village of Reis Magos boasts of a fortthat has stood the test of time. Recently renovated, it was the dream of thefamous cartoonist, the Late Mario Miranda, to see the fort come back to life.Sadly, this dream did not see the light of day, due to his demise a few months priorto the inauguration. The renovation of The Reis Magos Fort was undertakenon a massive scale, and equipped with its own arts and craft centre, is nowopen to the public. The walls are pay tribute to,…
