MARGAO
Looking at the bumper catch of Kingfish arriving at the wholesale fish market, here, questions are being raised whether this could be attributed to the LED effect.
Sources in the know say the prized fish has been finding its way to the wholesale fish market from the state jetties and across the borders in neighbouring Karnataka and Maharashtra.
The bumper catch of Kingfish has ensured a fall in its rate in the last two-three days. While a kilogram of Kingfish was offered for sale in the wholesale fish market for Rs 450 on Monday, the rate hovered in the region of Rs 450-550 on Tuesday.
Around week ago the fish was prized as high as Rs 700-800 per kg.
Sources in the fishing industry were quick to attribute the availability of the Kingfish at a reasonable rate to the use of LED lights across the west coast.
While many a local fishing vessel were in the past charged by the traditional fishermen for venturing out in the sea with inbuilt generators and LED lights, sources said the method was now being practiced by trawlers in neighbouring state of Karnataka as well.
This aspect could not be immediately confirmed, but wholesale fish agents maintained that fishing vessels in a neighbouring state have been venturing out in the sea with LED lights after a court judgment ruled in favour of this mode of fishing.
The Union government had in November 2017 imposed an uniform ban on LED fishing and bull trawling in the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) beyond the territorial waters. The ban, however, was never implemented in both letter and spirit by the authorities.
Traditional fishermen had cried foul over the indifference of the authorities under the guise of lack of wherewithal for reigning in on the fishing vessels.
