PANAJI
Angling enthusiasts are in for a shock.
The next time you pick up your fishing rod or line and head to the river bank, sea or even the local sluice-gate to spend a few hours practicing your favorite leisure activity, beware: you could be in conflict with the law if you haven't registered your angling equipment with the State's fisheries department and secured a licence to practice your hobby.
A notification issued by Dr Shamila Monteiro says the State government has made fresh rules, the Goa Marine Fishing Regulation (Seventh Amendment) Rules, 2023 under which all nature of fishing, including fishing with line-and-hook for "sport" fishing, entails registration of equipment with a payment of a fee.
Dr Monteiro, who is Director of Fisheries and also doubles up as ex-officio joint secretary to the State government, has also said non-compliance can lead to penal action including confiscation of equipment as well as the catch.
You could even be fined multiple times the value of your catch, according to the notification issued by Dr Monteiro.
The same rule also applies to individual fishers using cast nets (pagear) and fishing with traps (koblim) to catch fish, prawns, lobsters and crabs.
To fish with set of hooks, irrespective of number of hooks, registration fee for your equipment is Rs 200 and additionally getting a licence will cost you Rs 100, the notification states.
For fishing with hook and line for sport fishing, registration fee is Rs 500 and licence fee is Rs 250, while for longlines it costs Rs 800 for registering and Rs 400 for the licence.
The rules have also prescribed fees between Rs 500 and Rs 1000 for registering other equipment used by thousands of Goans in coastal and riverine villages such as sluice-gate nets, stake nets, barrier nets (funtaunim) and drag nets (rampon).
On the penal side, the notification says that if after an enquiry the accused person is found to be guilty, the adjudicating officer shall direct him to pay penalty which will be multiple times the value of the catch impounded and it will be all forfeited to the government.
