the goan I network
MARGAO
Owners of small fishing boats cried foul as officials descended on the Cutbona fishing jetty to check fishing boats fitted with LED lights more than a month after the Centre had issued a circular banning use of these lights for fishing, besides bull trawling.
While a team from the Fisheries Department went about inspecting the small fishing boats anchored at the jetty, small boat owners questioned the exercise, demanding to know whether any purpose will be served by the drive when big fishing boats are out in the sea. They have warned the department not to harass the small fishermen eking out a living on fishing activities and asserted that they will not entertain any discrimination against the small boat owners.
A group of small boat owners expressed concern over the decision of the fisheries team to target only the small boat owners, while failing to unveil its plan to reign in on the big fishing vessels.
President of the Cutbona Boat Owners Union Savio D'Silva pointed out that members of the union have no problem with the Fisheries Department drive to inspect the vessels fitted with LED lights. He, however hastened to add that the union and the fishermen will not tolerate any discrimination against the small boat owners, whose livelihood is solely dependent on fishing activities.
Savio posed a question to the Fisheries Department demanding to know whether they have any wherewithal to clamp down on the big boats making use of LED lights while fishing in deep waters. "If the department is sincere in cracking a whip, its officials should be deployed at the jetty to check all vessels entering the jetty with fish catch. They should also check vessels venturing out into the sea. If each and every vessel is checked when they enter or move out of the jetty, the drive against LED lights will turn out to be a success, otherwise it will only end up in discriminating against the small-time fishermen," Savio said, warning that fishermen will be forced to prevent the fisheries officials from entering the jetty if their agenda is only to harass the small fishermen.
A traditional fishermen Pandhari Kerkar wondered why the officials only targeted the small fishing boats, while leaving the big vessels scot-free. "The traditional fishermen had welcomed the ban on fishing with LED lights as they were in favour of sustainable fishing. But the officials should check the big vessels and not target the small boats which are anchored at the jetty," Pandhari said.
Cutbona fishing jetty in Salcete at the mouth of River Sal is the home to over 150 fishing boats. It was at the Cutbona fishing jetty that the controversy over the use of LED lights for fishing had surfaced over two years ago, creating a divide between small boat owners comprising the traditional fishermen, who were opposed to bull trawling, and the big time operators many of whom had fitted their vessels with LED lights.
MARGAO
Owners of small fishing boats cried foul as officials descended on the Cutbona fishing jetty to check fishing boats fitted with LED lights more than a month after the Centre had issued a circular banning use of these lights for fishing, besides bull trawling.
While a team from the Fisheries Department went about inspecting the small fishing boats anchored at the jetty, small boat owners questioned the exercise, demanding to know whether any purpose will be served by the drive when big fishing boats are out in the sea. They have warned the department not to harass the small fishermen eking out a living on fishing activities and asserted that they will not entertain any discrimination against the small boat owners.
A group of small boat owners expressed concern over the decision of the fisheries team to target only the small boat owners, while failing to unveil its plan to reign in on the big fishing vessels.
President of the Cutbona Boat Owners Union Savio D'Silva pointed out that members of the union have no problem with the Fisheries Department drive to inspect the vessels fitted with LED lights. He, however hastened to add that the union and the fishermen will not tolerate any discrimination against the small boat owners, whose livelihood is solely dependent on fishing activities.
Savio posed a question to the Fisheries Department demanding to know whether they have any wherewithal to clamp down on the big boats making use of LED lights while fishing in deep waters. "If the department is sincere in cracking a whip, its officials should be deployed at the jetty to check all vessels entering the jetty with fish catch. They should also check vessels venturing out into the sea. If each and every vessel is checked when they enter or move out of the jetty, the drive against LED lights will turn out to be a success, otherwise it will only end up in discriminating against the small-time fishermen," Savio said, warning that fishermen will be forced to prevent the fisheries officials from entering the jetty if their agenda is only to harass the small fishermen.
A traditional fishermen Pandhari Kerkar wondered why the officials only targeted the small fishing boats, while leaving the big vessels scot-free. "The traditional fishermen had welcomed the ban on fishing with LED lights as they were in favour of sustainable fishing. But the officials should check the big vessels and not target the small boats which are anchored at the jetty," Pandhari said.
Cutbona fishing jetty in Salcete at the mouth of River Sal is the home to over 150 fishing boats. It was at the Cutbona fishing jetty that the controversy over the use of LED lights for fishing had surfaced over two years ago, creating a divide between small boat owners comprising the traditional fishermen, who were opposed to bull trawling, and the big time operators many of whom had fitted their vessels with LED lights.
