Boat owners operating from the Cutbona fishing jetty are heading to Odisha in search of migrant workers to work on the fishing vessels. (Right) The Cutbona fishing jetty where dozens of vessels are anchored due to the fishing ban.
MARGAO
With just 10 days left for the commencement of the new fishing season on August 1, Goa’s mechanised fishing industry has swung into action, with boat owners heading to Odisha and neighbouring Jharkhand to recruit migrant workers who form the backbone of the State’s fishing fleet.
The annual exercise, considered as important as preparing the vessels themselves, is already underway. While a few boat owners and fleet managers have reached Odisha, several others are preparing to leave by air or rail in the coming days to ensure they have sufficient manpower before the fishing ban ends.
Goa’s mechanised fishing sector is almost entirely dependent on migrant workers employed as crew aboard trawlers and purse seine vessels. With very few local youth taking up jobs in the sector, boat owners have little choice but to travel to the eastern states every year to secure workers for the season.
Owners operating large fleets, particularly purse seine vessels that require sizeable crews, are leaving nothing to chance. Those managing between 10 and 15 vessels require anywhere between 250 and 300 workers, prompting them to personally visit villages in Odisha and Jharkhand to recruit labourers and pay them advance wages to confirm their availability.
Boat owners say the personal visits are not merely to finalise recruitment but also to ensure that the workers eventually reach Goa. “There is intense competition for experienced fishing crew. We prefer to personally meet the workers, pay them an advance and make travel arrangements so that they report for duty in Goa before the season begins,” a boat owner said.
Several boat owners admitted that another reason for travelling to the eastern states is to prevent workers from being lured away by rival operators during their journey.
“There have been instances in the past where workers, after arriving at railway stations in Goa, were persuaded by other boat owners to join their vessels instead. When you have already paid them an advance and are depending on them for your operations, losing them at the last minute can seriously disrupt your plans,” another boat owner said.
Industry sources said the first batches of migrant workers are expected to start arriving at the Cutbona fishing jetty around July 25, giving boat owners a few days to make preparations before the season officially begins on August 1.
A Cutbona-based boat owner said the mechanised fishing industry in Goa would come to a standstill without migrant labour. “At Cutbona alone, more than 200 fishing vessels operate from the jetty. Every year, over 5,000 migrant workers from Odisha and Jharkhand arrive here to work as crew members on these vessels. Without them, it would be impossible for the mechanised fishing sector to function,” he said.
The annual migration of fishing workers has become an integral part of Goa’s marine economy. Once in Goa, the workers spend several months at sea, returning to their native places only after the fishing season ends.
With vessel maintenance nearing completion and the monsoon fishing ban drawing to a close, boat owners are hopeful that favourable weather conditions and timely arrival of workers will allow them to begin the new season without disruption.
Fishermen hopeful despite rain deficit; cyclonic weather, not monsoon, seen as biggest challenge
Country boats of traditional fishermen anchored on the Colva shore.
MARGAO: Traditional fishermen and boat owners are looking forward to the start of the new fishing season with optimism, saying the rainfall deficit this year is unlikely to affect fish productivity in the Arabian Sea.
However, they remain concerned about weather conditions, pointing out that, based on their experience, the coast is yet to witness the three major cyclonic systems that typically occur around this time of the year. While the sea is currently rough, fishermen say conditions could still be favourable for country-made boats. The success of fishing operations from August 1, however, will largely depend on the weather.
President of the Goenchea Ramponkarancho Ekvott, Agnelo Rodrigues, said there is no direct relationship between rainfall on land and the fishing season. “Goa may have experienced a rainfall deficit so far, but fish productivity does not depend on the rains on land. If weather conditions are conducive, traditional fishermen will definitely venture into the sea with their country-made boats to mark the beginning of the new fishing season,” Rodrigues said.
He, however, cautioned that fishermen are yet to experience the three major cyclonic systems that normally affect the coast during this period. “If these cyclonic conditions coincide with the beginning of the new fishing season, fishermen will have no option but to keep their vessels anchored. During storms, fish move away from the surface and take shelter in deeper waters, making fishing difficult,” he explained.
Boat owners Patrick D’Silva and Savio D’Silva echoed similar views, maintaining that the rainfall deficit has no bearing on fish production in the Arabian Sea.
The two, however, expressed concern over the delayed cyclonic activity yet to reach the coast.
“During last year’s cyclonic weather, our fishing boats that had ventured out to sea were forced to take shelter at the nearby Karwar port for several days. As a result, we lost valuable fishing days,” Savio D’Silva said.
