MARGAO
With the new fishing season set to commence on August 1, the Health Department has started precautionary measures at the Cutbona fishing jetty, Goa's largest fishing hub, by launching health screening for migrant workers arriving to join the fishing fleet.
The move comes in the wake of repeated outbreaks of cholera and diarrhoea at the jetty over the past two fishing seasons, prompting authorities to adopt a proactive approach to prevent any recurrence of waterborne diseases.
Health teams deputed by the department have begun screening migrant crew members immediately upon their arrival at the jetty. Sources pointed out that migrant workers have started returning to the jetty in small numbers ahead of the new fishing season.
On Monday, migrant workers queued up at the Boat Owners' Union office, where health officials collected blood samples and conducted preliminary medical examinations. The samples will be sent for laboratory testing to assess the health status of the workers and detect any potential infections at an early stage.
Officials from both the Fisheries Department and the Health Department have appealed to all boat owners operating from the Cutbona fishing jetty to cooperate fully with the screening drive and ensure that every migrant worker undergoes the mandatory health check before joining fishing operations.
Three health officials and supporting staff were deployed at the union office on Monday to carry out the screening process. As the Cutbona fishing jetty falls under the jurisdiction of the Balli Primary Health Centre, the health teams are expected to continue the exercise over the coming days in a bid to screen all migrant workers.
The preventive initiative assumes significance in light of the cholera outbreak that struck the jetty at the start of the 2024 fishing season, claiming the lives of four migrant workers. The outbreak exposed the unhygienic and insanitary conditions prevailing at the fishing harbour and prompted the government to launch a crackdown on sanitation lapses.
Despite the government intervention and cooperation extended by the boat owners, cases of cholera and diarrhoea resurfaced at the beginning of the last fishing season, underlining the need for sustained vigilance and stronger public health safeguards at the busy fishing harbour.
The Cutbona fishing jetty, home to more than 200 mechanised fishing vessels, witnesses a massive influx of migrant labourers every year. During the peak fishing months from August to October, nearly 5,000 migrant workers from various states are employed on fishing boats and in allied activities at the harbour.
Health officials said the screening exercise forms part of a broader disease surveillance and prevention strategy aimed at ensuring a safe and healthy working environment during the fishing season. Sources said the Health Department will issue an advisory to boat owners and workers to maintain proper hygiene, consume safe drinking water and report any symptoms such as fever, diarrhoea or vomiting immediately to health authorities to prevent the spread of diseases.
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Police begin security vetting of Cutbona fishing crew
MARGAO: Ahead of the new fishing season, personnel from the Goa Police have launched the verification of migrant crew members arriving at the Cutbona fishing jetty from the security point of view.
Police personnel from the Betul Coastal Police Station and Cuncolim Police Station have been stationed at the Boat Owners' Union office at the jetty to facilitate the verification process by collecting and scrutinising stranger roll forms submitted by migrant workers seeking employment on fishing vessels.
The exercise is part of the annual pre-season verification drive undertaken by the police to establish the identity and antecedents of migrant labourers employed in the fishing sector.
Betul Police Station in-charge, Police Inspector Navlesh Desai, said the verification process has become a regular feature at the commencement of every fishing season.
"The police have been consistently carrying out the verification of migrant workers before they are engaged on fishing vessels. This is an important exercise from the security point of view, considering the large number of migrant workers who arrive at the jetty every season," PI Desai said.
He further informed that the police, the Fisheries Department and the Health Department have evolved a coordinated system to streamline the process.
According to PI Desai, once the stranger roll forms are submitted at the jetty, police personnel verify the information by conducting online checks to ascertain the antecedents of each worker.
"After the forms are filled in, the details are scrutinised through online databases to verify the background of the migrant workers before they are permitted to work," he said.
The Cutbona fishing jetty in South Goa is among the state's busiest fishing centres, with more than 200 fishing vessels operating from the harbour. Every year, the fleet depends heavily on migrant labourers from various parts of the country to meet its manpower requirements for deep-sea fishing operations.
