The call for a ban on bull-trawling was renewed on Sunday by the South Goa Mechanised Boat Owners Association following a chase in the Arabian Sea of boats that had strayed into Goan territorial waters from Karnataka. The fishing vessels were chased in a boat owned by the fisheries department and a hired speed boat. However, the rogue vessels which had sailed from Malpei could not be intercepted. The incident brings to the fore illegal entry of fishing vessels from neighbouring states which results in lesser catch for local fishermen. If the vessels in question were bull-trawling then action needs to be taken because this practice not only damages the ocean floor which is a breeding ground for fish but results in over fishing. Bull trawling is a practice that involves two vessels which simultaneously drag a single net over a larger area and is banned because of the damage it causes. The Federation of Purse Seine and Traditional Fishermen’s Organisation of Coastal Karnataka has urged the state government to ban bull-trawling by deep sea trawlers but the practice continues. The twin problems of bull-trawling and over-fishing has affected the annual catch in the state,which has remained stagnant and the demand for fish is met by imports from Karnataka and Maharashtra. The state fisheries department will have to work harder to ensure that encroachments are minimised and interests of local fishermen are protected.
