PANAJI
The annual monsoon and fish breeding season ban on fishing by mechanised trawlers came into force from midnight of Wednesday-Thursday as per the order issued by Director of Fisheries, Dr Shamila Monteiro on last Saturday.
Monteiro has exercised powers under sub-sections (1) and (2) of section 4 of the Goa Marine Fishing Regulation Act, 1980, to impose the 61-day fishing ban by mechanised trawlers along the sea coast and Goa’s territorial waters.
However, the fishing ban will not apply to the manual methods of fishing practiced by Goa’s traditional fishing community “ramponkars“ or the registered canoes fitted with inboard or outboard motors of a maximum of 10 horse-power.
However, the canoes can fish only with gill nets, the order states.
“Government of Goa, having regard to the need to conserve fish, hereby prohibits fishing by fishing vessels fitted with mechanical means of propulsion and by means of trawl-net and purse-seine net,” Monteiro’s order states.
It expressly makes an exception for fishing by registered motorised canoes fitted with outboard or inboard motors of upto 10 HP capacity but “using gill nets only”.
The order states the ban takes effect from June 1 and until July 31, 2023, both days inclusive.
Apart from Goa, the States of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala also impose a ban on fishing by mechanised trawlers during this period, which inadvertently opens up vistas for traditional fishing communities which inhabit dozens of fishing hamlets which dot the 105-kilometre coastline of the State.
With supplies to local fish markets drastically dropping during this 61-day ban period, the catch of the traditional fishing communities fetch better prices.
They also end up with bigger catches as larger shoals of fish venture into shallower waters in this period normally a breeding season for several species.
Fish-loving Goans make a beeline to where these traditional fishermen land their catch on some of the beaches besides river banks, for a direct bargain and purchase to net fresh fish to their dining tables.
During this fishing ban, several other fishing zones in brackish waters, including sluice-gate regulated khazans (manas) are also much sought after.
Besides ensuring safety due to the roughness at sea during the monsoon, one of the main motives behind the fishing ban is to leave the shallow waters undisturbed during the breeding season and ensure fish conservation.
