Fishermen are forced to anchor vessels on shore, risking damage from storms; questions arise whether govt studied demand for fish/shrimp farms before deciding to revive hatchery
The Benaulim prawn hatchery stands locked after the project had turned defunct. Benaulim fishermen anchor their fishing vessels on the shore for lack of dedicated space.
MARGAO
Around 96 country-made fishing vessels, besides 15 rampons – the sheer number goes to show that the traditional fishing gears employed by the fishermen in the fishing village of Benaulim.
Guess how and where the traditional fishermen are stacking their fishing vessels and fishing gears especially during the monsoons? Well, in the absence of dedicated space to store the fishing nets and boats, the fishermen are left with no option than to anchor the vessels right on the shore.
Indeed, it’s a sheer irony while the fishing community from Benaulim anchor their fishing boats on the coast for lack of dedicated space, the Fisheries Department does not want to open the gates of the adjoining defunct Benaulim hatchery land for the local fishermen to secure their fishing gears.
This is precisely the reason why fishermen in the coastal village of Benaulim had red-flagged the proposed “Shrimp and Fin fish hatchery” on the defunct Benaulim hatchery land and have been knocking the doors of the government to spare a parcel of land of the defunct prawn hatchery land admeasuring 50,000 square metres.
That’s not all. Apart from using the land for anchoring of fishing vessels, the fishermen had laid its claim on land admeasuring 5,000 square metres on the defunct prawn hatchery land for sustainable fishing and to add value to the fish product.
Indeed, one would come across dozens of fishing canoes anchored along the Benaulim coastline during monsoons. In fact, the fishermen risk anchoring their boats on the shore as past experience showed that nature’s fury had left their vessels damaged by storms during the monsoons.
Benaulim-based fisherman Pele Fernandes pointed out that the local fishermen have no dedicated space to anchor their fishing vessels and nets, especially during the monsoons. “Besides anchoring our fishing vessels, the fishermen could have used the allotted land to set up a cold storage unit to store excess fish and get better rate for their hard work. The place could also be utilised for fish drying and storing of salt, to add value to the fish catch and ensure extra income for the fishermen,” Pele said.
He added: “The Fisheries Department says the proposed Shrimp and Fin Fish Hatchery at the hatchery land will benefit the local and young entrepreneurs having fish and shrimp farms, wherein the fish seeds shall be made readily available. What about the existing fishermen from Benaulim? Why is the government not protecting their fishing interests by allotting them a portion of the defunct hatchery land to pursue their fishing activities? This only goes to show that the government has hatched a plan to hand over the prime beach and sea facing property to private players under the guise of Private Public Partnership.”
Others questioned the government motive and game plan behind the revival of the defunct prawn hatchery. “Has the government conducted a study of the number of existing fish and shrimp farms in the State and the number of young entrepreneurs ready to invest in fish and shrimp farms in the State before handing over the prime 50,000 square metres of land to the private players,” wondered a local villager.
A mock drill conducted at the Benaulim coast for monsoon preparedness had shown how the defunct hatchery land can come in handy for quick rescuing of the fishing vessels in the event of major disaster during monsoons. In fact, a senior district official, who was monitoring the monsoon preparedness mock drill, had virtually certified the hatchery land as a safe zone for anchoring of fishing vessels and nets in times of disaster.
The government had in August 2020 floated an Expression of Interest from prospective players to set up the “Shrimp and Fin Fish Hatchery” project at the defunct Benaulim prawn hatchery project site via the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model. Since then, Benaulim fishermen have been knocking the doors of all and sundry, right from the local Benaulim MLA to Fisheries Ministers and the Chief Minister with a plea to allot 5,000 square metres out of the total area of 50,000 square metres housing the defunct Benaulim hatchery, but in vain.
