THE 'ROUGH WEATHER'
>> Tension starts when two fishing boats belonging to a Colva-based owner land at the jetty with tons of mackerels
>> None of the 12 agents, who have been doing business at the jetty for years now, come forward to do auction fish
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FOR THE BOAT OWNERS
>> BENAULIM MLA CHURCHILL ALEMAO: I told DySP Raju Raut Desai that the agents cannot hold the jetty to ransom, but should go by the High Court order
>> EX-MLA BENJAMIN D'SILVA: These agents should know that the jetty belongs to the Fisheries Department. They cannot dictate their terms to the trawlers owners
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SUPPORT FOR AGENTS
>> PRESIDENT OF CBOU SAVIO D'SILVA: Some people are trying to confuse matters. The agents have auctioned fish brought by the small fishing boats
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MARGAO: Tension flared up at the Cutbona fishing jetty on Sunday with a section of boat owners, who have supported the takeover of the jetty by the Fisheries department, accusing the 12 fish agents for holding the jetty to ransom by refusing to auction the fish netted by a section of trawler owners.
As the stalemate over the refusal to auction fish continued throughout Sunday, at least three fishing vessels loaded with mackerels, valued around Rs 20 lakh, were stranded at the River Sal, following the refusal by the 12 fish agents to buy the fish from them.
As the stalemate continued, boat owners, who have been demanding that the authority be with the Fisheries Department at the jetty after the take over as per the High Court order, want the immediate eviction of the 12 fish agents from the Cutbona fishing jetty along with their vehicles all lined up along the jetty road.
Tension started when two fishing boats belonging to a Colva-based owner landed at the jetty with tons of mackerels, but none of the 12 agents, who have been doing business at the jetty for years now, came forward to auction and buy the fish.
While sources in the fish agents contended that the agents have refused to auction the fish of the Colva owner on grounds that he did not give his catch to them a few days ago, a member of the High Court constituted Committee, ex-MLA Benjamin D’Silva begged to differ. “The Fish agents are misguiding the authorities and everyone. The Colva owner was ready to give his catch to the agents as per the token and slot allotted by the Fisheries Department, but the agents had refused to come to slot No 1 to auction the fish,” Benjamin said, adding “these agents should know the jetty belongs to the Fisheries Department. They cannot dictate their terms to the trawlers owners and the department”.
Benaulim MLA, Churchill Alemao, who also owns fishing vessels, was at the jetty around Sunday noon in a bid to end the stalemate. “I told DySP Raju Raut Desai that the agents cannot hold the jetty to ransom, but should go by the High Court order. But, DySP Raut told me the police have come to take care of law and order,” Churchill said, adding “since the Fisheries Department is now looking after the Cutbona fishing jetty, fish agents and all activities at the jetty should come under the control of the department. No agent has the right to refuse to auction fish of any boat owner,” Churchill said.
Both Churchill and Benjamin asserted that the fish agents should be asked to leave the jetty along with their vehicles and goods if they do not fall in line and obey the Fisheries Department’s guidelines.
President of the Cutbona Boat Owners Union Savio D’Silva, who had taken up cudgels for the 12 fish agents at the jetty after the take over of the jetty by the Fisheries department, said the agents have auctioned fish netted by the small fishing boats. “Some people are trying to confuse matters. I have nothing to say. The agents have auctioned fish brought by the small fishing boats,” he added.
In the meantime, heavy police deployment continued at the Cutbona fishing jetty for the 12th day on Sunday as a precautionary measure since the new fishing season commenced on August 1. Cuncolim PI Sudesh Naik along with a number of PSIs was camping at the Cutbona jetty throughout Sunday. However, the day being a holiday, senior Fisheries officials were conspicuous by their absence at the jetty.
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Collector calls for
meet to break ice
MARGAO: The scene will shift from the Cutbona fishing jetty to the Matanhy Saldanha Administrative complex on Monday as South Goa Collector Dr Tariq Thomas has called for a meeting of the stakeholders to break the deadlock at the jetty. The meeting scheduled on Monday comes against the backdrop of a high level meeting the district Collector had with the stake holders, including President of Cutbona Boat Owners Union Savio D’Silva, fisheries officials and others on Saturday noon.
The meeting also assumes significance since a section of the boat owners, who have supported the takeover of the jetty by the Fisheries department, had cried foul since none of their representatives were invited for the meeting held on Saturday.
Police officials hoped that the Monday meeting will bring about an amicable solution to the Cutbona jetty issue since the men in uniform had been camping at the jetty since the fishing season began on August 1.
