THE GOAN NETWORK
MARGAO
Fishing activities resumed at the jetties, with trawlers venturing out depending on the availability of ice, but the fisheries department may have to face a peculiar question -- who will enforce social distancing at the fishing jetties.
The Fisheries department had on Saturday permitted the fishing operations on condition the stakeholders comply with a host of conditions at the jetties, including social distancing for the crew members and the public.
Sunday saw many a fishing vessel gearing at the Cutbona fishing jetty to venture out in the sea, as they were waiting for the arrival of ice from the nearby ice factories at the Cuncolim Industrial Estate. Ice factories had shut down in the wake of the Fisheries department’s order banning all fishing activities at the jetties from April 2 after most of the vessels dropped anchor. When the Fisheries Director Dr Shamila Monteiro lifted the ban in pursuance of the Union Home Ministry’s latest guidelines on fishing activities, most of the ice factories were found shut and they resumed operations only on Saturday noon.
The fortunate amongst the boat owners got the required ice from the factories on Saturday itself before venturing out in the sea, but others had to wait till Sunday noon to go out for fishing.
The moot question, however, remains unanswered “ who will enforce the conditions laid down by the Fisheries Director at the jetties?
When this question was posed to the president of the Cutbona Boat Owners Union, Savio D’Silva, he said the Fisheries Director should answer the question and depute Fisheries officials to set up a mechanism at the jetties. “The Fisheries Director had deployed her officials and had roped in the services of the Coastal police to enforce the ban on fishing activities at the Cutbona jetty from April 2. Let the Fisheries Director take a call on getting the host of conditions enforced at the jetties through government authorities”, Savio said.
While the fishing boats have ventured out in the sea on Saturday and Sunday, the vessels are expected to return depending on the catch, giving time for the Fisheries Director and officials to put a mechanism in place at the jetties to prevent crowding and maintain social distancing.
Incidentally, the Fisheries Director’s order cast responsibility on the owners of the fishing vessel, societies and Associations to ensure social distancing and proper hygiene procedures while carrying out fishing related activities at the jetties.
Amongst other conditions, the order mandates the owners to provide their crew and labourers hand gloves, masks and hand sanitizers.
What’s interesting to note is that the Order has banned retail sale of fish at the fish landing centres. The ban assumes significance and comes against the backdrop of reports that some of the boat owners sold their catch in retail at the jetties.
