PANAJI
Several Opposition legislators on Friday criticised the Pramod Sawant government for discontinuing the VAT subsidy on diesel for trawler owners and on petrol for smaller traditional fishermen with motor boats for the last two years and demanded that the scheme be revived.
Opposition members, including Cruz Silva, Viresh Borkar, Vijai Sardesai and even ruling BJP MLA, Nilesh Cabral, demanded that the government take steps to restart this VAT subsidy scheme for fishermen arguing that it was crucial for the financial viability of their business.
Borkar said, another scheme which provided an annual subsidy of Rs 50,000 to traditional fishermen involved in canoe fishing had been reduced to Rs 30,000. He said, these fishermen are very small players and the reduction of the subsidy had pushed them to the brink.
“There is need to restore the subsidy to its original Rs 50,000 quantum,” Borkar said.
‘Pathetic conditions at Cutbona jetty’
Silva who represents Velim constituency where the State’s largest fishing jetty exists at Cutbona, lamented the pathetic conditions there and demanded that the government immediately commission the new jetty completed in 2019 but which remains unutilised. Silva also questioned the delay in commencing the breakwater project at Betul the absence of which causes dangerous conditions for the fishing boats at the mouth of the river where it meets the sea. He also raised the issue of lack of sanitation facilities on the Cutbona jetty and demanded that a proper functional toilet block be built there.
‘Fishing only sector still controlled by Goans’
Fatorda MLA, Vijai Sardesai, said the fishing sector is perhaps the only sector of Goa’s economy which is still in the control of Goans and questioned the government’s move to cut budgetary allocations for fisheries.
He said, the government should provide storage facilities in strategic locations so that fishermen can preserve and are not under pressure to dispose their catch for fear of it perishing.
“If you set up 5-6 such storage facilities in Betim, Betul, Canacona, Chapora and some other locations, it will revolutionise the fishing business model,” Sardesai said.
Check bull-trawling, LED fishing
Member after member censured the Fisheries department for its utter failure to check bull-trawling and LED fishing in Goa’s territorial waters.
The department also came under fire for the failure to prevent mechanised trawlers from fishing within five nautical miles of the shore which is banned.
St Andre MLA, Viresh Borkar alleged that in the Odxel, Nauxim, Cacra, Siridao area, fishermen have often complained that trawlers are intruding in these shallow waters but the department does not have the wherewithal to police it.
“They have only one surveillance boat. When they call the reply is that the boat is on a sortie in Mandrem and cannot come to the Siridao area,” Borkar said.
The ruling BJP’s Calangute MLA, Michael Lobo alleged that boats from Malpem come and fish in Goan waters in violation of the ban on bull trawling. He said, the fisheries department does not have the muscle to check these violations.
