PANAJI
The State government which has recently faced resistance over its move to regulate and earn revenue from activity on fishing jetties has ‘notified’ seven jetties for landing of fish catch by mechanised boats (trawlers).
By the same notification issued by the Director of Fisheries Dr Shamila Monteiro, the government has also listed as many as 28 ramps and all the beaches in the State as ‘fish-landing sites’ open for use by Goa’s traditional ramponkar community.
The seven jetties notified for use by the mechanised vessels are: Chapora, Malim, Cortalim, Khariwadda, Cutbona and Talpona.
Fish landing ramps for traditional fishermen and fishing canoes are one (Keri) in Pernem, 10 in Bardez, five in Tiswadi, five in Ponda, one in Mormugao, four in Salcete and two in Canacona.
All the beaches can also be used as fish-landing sites by the traditional ramponkars using canoes.
For the first time this year, the State government had made it mandatory for traders to register with the department to continue carrying out activities at the designated fish landing jetties. A registration fee of Rs 1-lakh was also imposed.
The move had evoked sharp reaction from the fishermen’s cooperatives operating the various fishing jetties.
The Fisheries Minister Nilkanth Halarnkar had taken the initiative to impose the regulation after he charged the managing committee of the Mandovi Fishermen Marketing Co-op Society Ltd, which manages the Malin jetty of high-handedness in the wake of complaints by two trawler owners that their catch rotted as traders refused to buy their fish.
