PANAJI
The State government is working out a joint protocol involving coordination between the Indian Coast Guard, Coastal Police and the Fisheries Department to police Goan waters against fishing by trawlers from other States.
Fisheries Minister Nilkanth Halarnkar said the government has been talking to top Coast Guard officials and is expecting the policing to start soon
Halarnkar was responding to the discussion on the demands for grants in the Goa legislative assembly wherein several legislators flagged the fisheries department's inadequacies and lack of machinery to tackle the largescale fishing carried out by boats from other states in Goan waters.
The minister said the illegal fishing by boats from outside the State was at present being monitored and checked through control rooms on each of the fishing jetties in the State.
Earlier, several members had suggested drone monitoring and acquiring high-speed boats to seize the outstation trawlers.
Leader of the Opposition Yuri Alemao said the situation was causing harm to local trawler owners and fishermen and demanded that the fisheries department equip itself to tackle the invasion of Goan territorial waters by fishing trawlers registered in neighbouring States, including bull-trawling.
Alemao also flagged the department's lethargic performance in disbursal of incentives and subsidies to the fishing community and the consequent dwindling numbers in fish production over the last few years.
Fatorda MLA, Vijai Sardesai, questioned the government's wisdom in shrinking the budgetary allocations for several schemes and subsidies under the fisheries department. He also flagged certain species of fish like mackeral and tuna had witnessed a drop in production in the last two years and taunted the government's call of self-sufficiency -- Swayampurna -- calling it a mere slogan.
Benaulim MLA, Venzy Viegas, demanded that the Fisheries Minister come up with a plan to preserve traditional fishing techniques and get the older generation traditional fishermen to train the younger generation in the use of 'katallii' (gill-nets) and other traditional fishing gear.
Viegas also demanded a cashless system of disbursing incentives and subsidies to the fishing community. He said one of the reasons why traditional fishermen are loath to expand their activity is because they have to first invest their own money for the input costs and then wait for 'reimbursement' from the fisheries department.
On the issue of outstation trawlers fishing in Goan waters, Viegas said that the department was ill-equipped to check this illegal activity which is impacting local fishermen.
