MARGAO
Traditional fishermen from Benaulim were all smiles as they netted prized fish catch in the sea on Sunday.
The fishermen, however, have expressed concern over the dwindling fish catch in the last two months, attributing the situation to outside fishing boats resorting to bull trawling and fishing with LED lights.
The group of fishermen comprising of Pele Fernandes, Remy Fernandes and others managed to net the prized fish from the sea on Sunday. The fish catch brought smiles on the faces of the fishermen, who are deeply concerned over the presence of outside speed fishing boats operating close to the Goan coast.
Fisherman Pele Fernandes informed that the fish catch has come drastically in the last two months affecting the livelihood of the traditional fishermen.”We are happy that we have netted the big fish after a long time. At the same time, the fishermen is a worried lot given the dwindling fish catch in the last two months”, he said.
Blaming the present situation to the presence of red coloured fishing boats from outside the state into Goa’s territorial jurisdiction, Pele said these boats have been resorting to bull trawling and fishing with LED lights drastically affecting the fish catch.
Demanding that the Centre provide speed boats to the coastal police and the fisheries department to reign in on the outside fishing boats from fishing in Goa’s waters through illegal bull trawling etc, Pele demanded that whichever party that forms the government in Delhi should help the Goa government with the speed boats to intercept the illegal fishing by boats from outside the state.
