MARGAO
Will the Fisheries Director crack a whip against the owners of old and sunken vessels at the Cutbona fishing jetty that serve as a hindrance to loading and unloading of fish?
After a meeting with the representatives of the Cutbona-based fisheries societies, Fisheries Director Dr Shamila Monteiro had promised action against the owners of fishing vessels that are lying anchored on the new stretch of the jetty for a long time.
Questions, however, have been raised how the Fisheries Director will go about cracking the whip -- whether by levying fines on the owners or towing the boats away from the jetty?
Fisheries societies and boat owners operating from Cutbona had been complaining for some time against the presence of the scrap and sunken vessels at the jetty. They had been pointing out that the presence of these vessels was affecting the loading, unloading and berthing of fishing vessels.
The boat owners had brought to the notice of the Fisheries Director that the newly-constructed stretch of the Cutbona jetty has been occupied by the old sunken vessels.
When contacted, Dr Monteiro told The Goan that instructions have been issued to the owners to tow away the vessels from the jetty. She said instructions have been issued to the fisheries officials to crack a whip by imposing a fine on the owners of the vessels if they failed to tow away the vessels.
While conceding that the fisheries department has a task at hand to remove the vessels, Dr Monteiro said the owners can themselves tow away the vessels to the extreme end of the jetty and create space for berthing.
“The old and scrap vessels can be kept at the extreme end of the jetty so that the vessels do not hamper berthing of other fishing boats,” she added.
