Defunct Benaulim prawn hatchery land.
MARGAO
The Goa government seemed going ahead with the decision of the Fisheries department to set up a Shrimp and Fin Fish hatchery at Benaulim through the Public Private partnership (PPP) much against the wishes and sentiments of the Benaulim fishing community.
This became evident when in his speech on the budget presented in the Assembly on Wednesday, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant proposed to set up the Shrimp and Fin Fish hatchery at Benaulim through PPP.
The state-of-art “Shrimp and Fin fish hatchery” project was proposed by the Fisheries department at the defunct Benaulim prawn hatchery project site via the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model in early August, 2020 on the sprawling sea facing government-acquired 10 acre land.
The Directorate of Fisheries has floated an Expression of Interest saying the government intends to set up a state of art Shrimp and fin fish hatchery on PPP basis by redeveloping the defunct prawn hatchery.
The Benaulim fishermen, however, had bitterly protested over the Fisheries department proposal, promoting the then Fisheries Minister Filipe Neri Rodrigues to go slow on the project.
In fact, the local fishing community had been demanding a portion of the land at the Benaulim prawn hatchery for the fishermen to anchor their boats and fishing gear during the monsoons.
In fact, at the last gram sabha of Benaulim panchayat, it was resolved to approach the government to earmark a portion of the hatchery land for the fishermen to sell fish and to anchor their canoes and nets during the monsoons.
Incidentally, Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas, who has taken up cudgels for the fishermen, is expected to table a Private Member’s resolution demanding that the local fishing community is also taken on board the partnership so that they also reap the benefits.
He has also been demanding that the government earmark a portion of the Benaulim hatchery land for the local fishermen to anchor canoes, fishing nets during the monsoons.
