MARGAO
Delayed manpower may prevent dozens of fishing vessels anchored at the Cutbona fishing hub on Day one of the new fishing vessels, beginning from Friday.
But, owners of fishing vessels, whose migrant manpower has reported at the fishing jetty, are keeping their fingers crossed over starting the new season, but for a different reason.
The hostile navigation issues at the mouth of river Sal at Betul has come back to haunt the boat owners and traditional fishermen. For, the promised training wall at the mouth of river Sal is yet to take shape till date, despite repeated reminders by the fishing community over the years.
The training wall was proposed by the Fisheries department over half a decade ago, before the project was challenged before the National Green Tribunal. The Tribunal later gave its nod for the construction of the training wall at the mouth of river Sal on condition the proponent first conducts an Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) study.
Sadly, though it’s now over three years since the NGT had disposed of the case with directions to conduct the EIA, the Fisheries Department is yet to take the process to the logical conclusion.
When The Goan contacted Fisheries Director, Dr Shamila Monteiro to shed light on the long-delayed construction of training wall at the river Sal mouth at Betul, she said the department has engaged an agency to conduct the EIA study. “It will take some time for the agency to conduct the study and give its report. Meanwhile, it is for the government to take up dredging of the river Sal mouth if the sand bar is hampering the movement of fishing vessels,” she added.
Former president of the Cutbona Boat Owners Union Cypriano Cardozo informed that the proposed training wall construction at the river Sal mouth has been hanging fire for long now. “The new fishing season starts from Friday, but the boat owners are keeping their fingers crossed whether the hostile navigation conditions at the river Sal mouth will allow the vessels to venture out. If when the vessels venture out for fishing, they encounter severe problems to return back to the Cutbona jetty, leaving the vessels with no option than to move to Vasco”, he said.
Cypriano has made a fervent plea to the government to address the long pending issue of break water facility at the river Sal mouth by constructing a training wall.
