MARGAO
With exactly 10 days to go for the fishing ban to come into force on June 1, a fleet of fishing vessels is bracing up for the last trip of the fishing season from the Cutbona fishing jetty, Goa’s biggest fishing hub.
While around 50 per cent of the fishing boats have dropped anchor at the Cutbona fishing jetty, a fleet of 30-40 boats are gearing to undertake the last fishing trip into the choppy seas.
There’s not much catch in the last few days, with deep sea fishing boats believed to have gone as far as the Gujarat coast to net the big size mackerel, presently in high demand in the market.
The last few days of fishing, however, have come at a high cost, with boat owners claiming that huge quantities of diesel are required to make it to the Gujarat coast to net the mackerels.
Sources, however, said some of the fishing boats are still in the sea, netting sardines, which have been spotted in the Arabian sea.
Former president of the Cutbona Boat Owners Union, Savio D’Silva said curtains have almost come down on the fishing season with most of the fishing vessels dropping their anchor at the Cutbona jetty. He said a few fishing boats are bracing up to undertake their last fishing expedition of the season, to try their luck with a catch of mackerel.
“I can say almost 50 per cent of the fishing boats have dropped anchor. Some of the boats have already unloaded their fishing jets. The migrant labourers have also headed to their native states”, he said.
He, however, hastened to add that a couple of fishing boats are bracing up to venture out in the sea in a day or two to net the last catch of the season.
Sources pointed out that some of the migrant labourers, especially hailing from Odisha have already headed home. “To avoid a rush of migrant laboruers returning home together and making rush at the railway station, some of the boat owners have sent their labourers back home in batches”, remarked a boat owner.
