CORTALIM
“The traditional fishermen of Goa strongly oppose the use of LED lights in the territorial waters of Goa. Boat owners have invested about `10 lakh to employ this foreign fishing method, which is totally destructive in nature,” stated GRE president Agnelo Rodrigues in a press note.
“These LED lights are used in territorial waters within 12 nautical miles and not beyond 12 nautical miles, which is itself a violation of the Goa Marine Fishing Regulation Act, and no such fishing boats are registered to operate beyond 12 nautical miles in the State,” stated Rodrigues.
“Using LED lights for fishing is totally destructive to marine ecology, as these lights are mostly used near rocky areas where fishing is not possible. Due to flashing of lights around that area, the fish get attracted towards the light, and if we don’t allow fish to breed, there will be total fish famine in the state within 3-4 months,” he claimed further.
GRE joint general secretary and National Fishworkers’ Forum secretary, Olencio Simoes said the boat owners are using all sorts of destructive gears of fishing viz China engines (high horse powered engine), bull trawling, bottom trawling, etc.
“Further, the boat owners using foreign technology don’t realise that boats in foreign countries like France have to fish for a limited tonnage as per season, while in India there is no limit for fish catch. As such, all these modern technologies are used judiciously and with accordance with the marine ecology,” he said.
Simoes has requested Fisheries Minister, Avertano Furtado and Fisheries Director, Dr Sharmila Monteiro to intervene in the matter and immediately scrap the use of LED lights and preserve the
marine ecology.
Simoes warned that GRE, Old Cross Canoe Association Owners Co-operative Society Ltd, Baina Ramponkar & Fishing Canoe Owners’ Society, Desteirro Fishermen Association, Akhil Goa Kshatriya Pajui Samaj-Canacona, Valankani Saibin Fishermen Association-Nerul, Baga Sant Khuris Fishermen Association-Calangute, Shri Shanta Durga Fishermen Association-Cacra and Laxmi Narayan Fishermen’s Association-Arambol will go on chain hunger strikes and will be forced to take law into their hands if the fisheries department doesn’t stop the use of LED lights for fishing activities.
