The protests led by the Goenchea Ramponkarancho Ekvott and other fishing associations in Goa has escalated quickly. What started off as a slow agitation against the use of LED lights by purse seiners has now become a full-fledged protest in the river Sal and Mandovi. Boats and canoes blockaded the Captain of Ports jetty and now there has even been a lathi charge.
The government may have every right to point at the protesting fishermen and accuse them of, turning what should have been a protest on paper to a massive movement on the streets about something that hasn’t yet been proven. But the government also needs to introspect on what has caused this situation to get out of hand. The fault doesn’t lie with the protestors alone.
The contention of the department of fisheries is that no evidence exists to prove that the use of LED lights, or the excessive use of it, will lead to the depleted of fish stocks in the sea. The associations claim that the massive boats that use the lights end up attracting entire shoals of fish. These shoals also land juvenile fish in their nets, which are then thrown overboard. Unfortunately, by that time, they are dead. The associations claim that this will result in lesser fish every year and these actions threaten the livelihood of all fishermen and the gradual depletion of fish stocks.
In many ways, both sides are right. But this is where good governance can solve even issues like this. The department of fisheries have finally issued an order that prohibits the use of LED lights in State waters. This is only part of the solution since fishing beyond 12 nautical miles can still happen, as the order cannot rule on any activities in international waters. The fishing associations want a blanket ban. The government says that they will patrol the seas and conduct inspections.
But is it humanly possible to actually conduct inspections at sea? In many parts of the world, governments have worked on better ways to inspect and restrict fishing. The government of Goa can use the guidelines put down by the United Nations in the Laws of the Sea, or use best practices by countries that have a Common Fisheries Policy, like the European Union, the United Kingdom and other regions.
The use of GPS mapping and the checking of stocks at jetties makes more sense than sending boats out to patrol Goan waters. This way, all stocks are checked before they are brought into the state. Associations and groups are allotted weekly limits, by weight and have to stick to them. Of course this may restrict over-fishing or may just result in dead fish being dumped overboard if boats have exceeded their limits. This happens in the best of places, like the European Union, which has one of the tightest and most comprehensive common fisheries policies around. But there are ways around it, especially in a place like Goa.
It’s about time that the government bring all stakeholders to the table and formulate a policy that will end up managing Goa’s demand for fish as well as take care of the fish stocks in the seas. This may result in a few changes that might not be an easy pill to swallow for some, but in the long run, Goa needs to benefit.
