Minister announces drone surveillance to curb illegal fishing, cornered over performance

Fisheries Minister Nilkanth Halarnkar speaks in the Assembly on Wednesday.

MAPUSA
Fisheries Minister Nilkanth Halarnkar’s announcement of drone-based aerial surveillance to curb illegal fishing activities along Goa’s coastline sparked a heated debate in the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday, as opposition MLAs criticised the minister’s performance and questioned delays in executing basic infrastructure projects for the fishing community.

Halarnkar informed the House that drone surveillance – already being implemented on a pilot basis – will now be rolled out extensively to detect unauthorised fishing by vessels from outside the State.

“The drones track, detect and identify illegal boats in Goan waters. They are monitored in real-time by department officials from the control room,” the minister said.

He added that the same agency currently operating in Maharashtra has been roped in for Goa, and that the Coast Guard and Coastal Police would act on the intelligence to seize boats and penalise violators.

Mormugao MLA Sankalp Amonkar expressed frustration over pending works in his constituency, including the construction of a net mending shed, an auction hall and even simple street lighting. “Why is it taking years to install solar street lights or start small infrastructure projects?” he questioned.

Halarnkar responded that delays were due to the area falling under the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ), which required time to secure the necessary clearances. He assured that the NOC for the net mending shed had finally been obtained and that tenders would be issued within eight to ten days for the Public Works Department (PWD) to begin work.

However, his remarks did little to placate the opposition. Joining the debate, AAP MLA Venzy Viegas said such delays were common across Goa and accused Halarnkar of blaming the PWD instead of fixing internal issues. “Is there a mechanism in place to fast-track CRZ and other approvals? What is the fisheries minister doing to ensure efficiency?” Viegas asked.

Goa Forward Party chief and Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai made a sharp remark questioning whether Halarnkar was facing pressure from within the government. “If the minister can’t get the job done, there are others ready to take over. Are you not getting support from your own leadership?” Sardesai asked, alluding to political undercurrents.

Curtorim MLA Aleixo Reginald Lourenco highlighted the menace of bull trawling and increasing illegal fishing by out-of-state trawlers. “Drones can detect boats, but who will seize them? What is the action mechanism?” he asked.

Halarnkar clarified that once unauthorised vessels are identified by drone surveillance, the coastal police and Coast Guard are responsible for seizing them and initiating punitive action.

Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao questioned the cost-effectiveness of drone monitoring, asking whether any analysis had been done to compare its efficacy with traditional enforcement methods. “What is the success rate? Drones cannot physically stop illegal fishermen,” Alemao pointed out.

As the debate concluded, the minister faced mounting pressure not only to modernise monitoring but also to streamline basic service delivery to Goa’s fishing communities.