PANAJI
The State government has revived a bouquet of subsidies to benefit Goa's traditional fishing community including one new scheme to build or buy new canoes of up to 26 feet in length and to purchase the various kinds of traditional nets.
Notifying these schemes, the director of fisheries, Dr Sharmila Monteiro has said, these are aimed at "uplifting" the sizeable community of traditional fishermen.
Those who possess the OBC Kharvi Certificate or fishing profession certificate issued by the competent authorities such as mamlatdar or Chief Officer of the concerned civic body or secretary of the panchayat and countersined by the BDO, are eligible to avail this subsidy to buy or build a new canoe.
Those seeking this subsidy need to also possess the net registration with the fisheries department and will have to register the craf with the Captain of Ports. Old canoe owners can also avail the scheme if their craft is more than seven years old.
However, once the subsidy is availed and the new canoe purchased, the beneficiary is restrained from selling or transferring the canoe for at least seven years.
Another scheme notified by the government is one for purchase of the various types of nets used in rivers, canals, creeks and also the sea by traditional fishermen in Goa.
Traditional fishermen operate some 200 stakes -- a trap for catching fish which is fixed in the bed in a creek, canal, river or sea. The fishing gear used on these stakes is known as 'stake net' and the government will subsidize purchase of these up to 50 per-cent of the cost and to a maximum of Rs 60,000.
Another subsidy traditional fishermen can now avail of is one for the purchase of 'barrier net' which is a trap used to catch fish in inland waters.
Yet another scheme provides subsidy to traditional fishermen owning canoes to buy outboard motors.
Last but not the least, a scheme has been promoted for fish vendors offering subsidies for purchase of vending accessories such as crates, weighing balance, insulated box, gloves, stool, platform to keep fish/shed/umbrella, choppers and other equipment related to fish vending.
