MARGAO
A resident of Colva Calvert Gonsalves on Monday sought the intervention of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Fisheries Minister Nilkhant Halarnkar and Fisheries officials to initiate action in stopping rampant bull trawling in the sea.
Further reminding the government authorities that mid-April and May are months that mackerels come on the coast to lay their eggs, Gonsalves pointed out that the fish is being ruthlessly caught by the greedy fishermen using LED lights and bull trawling method.
Saying that patrolling on the coast within five km from the Goan shore is very much necessary to facilitate the fish resources multiply hundred times over, Gonsalves has suggested to the government to hire water sports boat from the operators to catch those indulging in LED lights fishing and bull trawling if the Fisheries department have no logistics to crack a whip against the violators.
In his petition to the Chief Minister, which is also addressed to the Registrar, High Court, Gonsalves has claimed that bull trawling is presently carried out at least two times a week.
“Around 60-70 fishing boats come from Malpe and Karnataka to regularly do bull trawling within 2.5 to 3 km off the coast of Salcete. They start from Velsao going south via Cansaulim - Majorda - Betabatim - Colva - Benaulim - Varca - Cavelossim - Canacona and into the coastal waters of Karwar and further down south. This bull trawling is done within Goa's territorial waters to a distance of approximately 38 km,” he said.
He added: “It's a (large) bull net which forms a large pocket that's dragged over the sea bed which sucks in all the fish that comes in its way. One bull net is pulled by a pair of two trawlers/ fishing boats covering a width of 30 metres by forming a large pocket. In the process, they swipe off and take away with them all fish and marine life including juvenile fish. The process of bull trawling also disturbs the sea bed where fish regularly lays eggs and eggs get submerged in the process of bull trawling. Turtles are also simply destroyed.”
Gonsalves claimed that the fishing vessels use the banned monofilament (nylon) net in bull trawling, which is not environment friendly and is discarded on the sea bed when damaged.
“The mesh size diameter of bull trawling nets is also very small and because of this, even juvenile fish is caught. And this small juvenile fish is not consumed by humans. It goes to meal plants. If allowed to grow, this juvenile fish grows to edible sizes within a short time. Bull trawling is only making these greedy fishermen rich at the cost of our ecology which is being greatly disturbed & permanently destroyed. This is a cycle of fish breeding and feeding patterns that are being destroyed forever. Bull trawling has greatly impacted and destroyed fish like dolphins and sharks. Turtles are simply destroyed by this bull trawling process,” he added.
