Photo Caption- Members of the GRE and other traditional fishermen address media at Vasco. Photo by Vikram Nayak
THE GOAN NETWORK
VASCO
Goenchea Raponkarancho Ekvott (GRE) along with other traditional fishermen associations have on Wednesday demanded that the monsoon ban be increased to 90 days and implemented in the next season so that the fishing stock has ample time to replenish.
The traditional fishermen have also asked the Government to act on LED Fishing and Boats arriving from neighbouring states in Goan waters.
The fishermen addressing media in Vasco criticised the fisheries department for failing to protect the marine resources and the livelihoods of fishermen.
GRE Vice President Camilo Souza said that only 84.03cr budget was allocated for fisheries of which not a single rupee was for the fishermen of Goa.
"The fisheries department has failed to implement the ban on destructive gears due to which, many fishermen are already getting displaced, and shifting to other profession since fishing is not viable anymore. The department is now acting like an agent to destroy the marine resources and fishermen across Goa. We demand that the new season should start by strictly enforcing the ban on LED light fishing and impound all Malpe (Karnataka) boasts entering into our territorial waters, failing which a law and order situation can arise in the state of Goa," said Souza.
Souza further said that since 2016, there has been constant violation of LED light fishing
"Every year the generator power has increased from 40kv to now 170kv and 16 bulbs amounting to 30000watts of power. It is sad that the fisheries director who was instrumental in passing the law to ban LED lights is now advocating the use of LED lights and the use of generators for fishing and other destructive uses of gears like bull trawling and the use of high-speed china engines," said Souza.
GRE general secretary Olencio Simoes said that Goa was the first state to ban the use of all destructive gears but is the last state to implement the ban.
"In Srilanka, the fishing community is being completely displaced due to the use of such destructive gear and the same situation is in other countries too. Looking at the distressed situation of the fishermen across the state, it is high time that the monsoon ban be increased to 90 days and implemented in the next season so that the fish stock has ample time to replenish," said Simoes.
