PANAJI
Why is the fish catch dwindling in Goa? While small boat owners have attributed the decreasing catch to the use of LED lights, interestingly there are more factors which could set off alarm bells and force authorities to do a rethink.
Refusing to comment on the LED lights issue, chief scientist at the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), Baban Ingole has cited over licensing of trawlers, pollution and increased tourism as major reasons for the decline in fish catch.
Speaking to The Goan, Ingole said the Directorate of Fisheries has been careless in granting more than the scientifically permissible licences to motorised trawlers.
According to Fisheries Department statistics, there were 1,481 motorised crafts registered upto 2014 and an additional 843 mechanised trawlers for the same year. As for the fish catch, 2013 registered a total of 87,984 tonnes, 2014 registered 1,28,107 tonnes and 2015 saw a drastic decline to 68,561 tonnes.
“Scientifically for 104-kilometer coastline, roughly around 400 trawlers can operate if fishing has to be sustainable. In Goa there are roughly around 1,200 fishing trawlers registered by the Fisheries Department. Scientifically if it is 400, why give licenses three times more,” he asked.
Increased dumping of sewage into water bodies also affects breeding. Ingole says the collection of pollutants along the mouths of the rivers adds to the problem.
“In the river mouth area fish breeds because mangroves have organic material as well as serve as protection from bigger fish. Mouth areas and backwaters are therefore known as nursery grounds. But if that is polluted, eggs won’t hatch", explained Ingole.
Climate change may also contribute to the problem and is aggravated due to hazardous human activity. Strict inspection and reducing the number of trawlers will also help in increasing the fish catch, he feels.
But despite all the damage, the scientist also says, the government and people in general need to enter the business of fish farming to sustain the industry.
“We have to increase aquaculture. There is a lot of scope for backwater aquaculture. Estuarines can be converted into farms for fish, crabs, mussels. It can be done in Goa too. We need fish in the market and if we don’t get any from the sea, we will have to resort to this sort of farming,” he said.
