MARGAO
Will this public notice issued by the Fisheries Department help Cutbona fishing jetty rid of the abandoned vessels and fishing nets?
Show cause notices issued by Fisheries Director Dr Shamila Monteiro in the past had failed to evoke the desired response from the owners of the abandoned vessels and the fishing nets.
The Fisheries Director, however, has issued a public notice in the local media drawing attention of the owners of the 22 fishing vessels and the nets to tow away the vessels and the nets from the jetty or face action.
In fact, the Fisheries Director has set 10-day deadline on the owners of the vessels and the fishing nets to act or face action.
The latest action from the Fisheries department comes after the inspection of the fishing jetty by Sub-divisional Magistrate, deputy Collector Margao Jyoti Kumari last month. In fact, the fisheries officials had assured the deputy collector that the department will soon crack a whip against the defaulting owners, pointing out that the department had issued notices to the defaulting owners.
The latest public notice states that the fishing vessels of unknown ownership, whose vessel registration number and name is not displayed on the vessel are berthed at the Cutbona fishing jetty.
A glance at the list shows that the registration number is missing on the fishing vessels, while a couple of vessels had their names on the vessels.
As far as the fishing nets is concerned, the notices states that as many as 55 fishing nets have been found abandoned at the new Cutbona jetty as well as the Fisheries complex.
Abandoned boats and nets at the Cutbona fishing jetty. Santosh Mirajkar
During the inspection, GOACAN Coordinator Roland Martins and some boat owners had drawn attention of the deputy Collector that the abandoned vessels at the jetty come in the way of berthing of the fishing vessels. In fact, fears were expressed by the local NGOs that the abandoned boats, if not towed, may act as breeding ground for vector borne diseases.
The notice further stated that failure to action will prompt the Fisheries department to remove the fishing vessels and nets from the jetty and the complex without any further notice , warning that no further claim will be entertained on the matter.
