They may be working on trawlers and canoes, but workers from other states are being brought in by flights to Goa, as fishing boat owners are desperate to get their workforce for operations on trawlers stranded at various jetties in the Taluka for over a month.
While flights were the mode of transportation for people joining ships at ports, workers on trawlers are getting now the same privilege, as the fishing season which began in August had been hit by a shortage of workers and many traditional and mechanised boat owners were unable to send their vessels into the sea.
“Though the official fishing season may have begun in the State, the reality is that the season had not begun for many fishing boat owners due to acute shortage of labourers,” said All Goa Fishing boat owners Association (AGFBOA) President and former minister Jose Philip D’Souza.
“I don’t think even 25-30 fishing boats have been ready for the season due to this labour shortage. During the lockdown, boat owners had to spend in lakhs to send these workers home to their native places.”
“While we organised special chartered buses to send the workers home, we now have to spend lakhs of rupees to bring them back. Some boat operators could not wait for the borders to be opened as per Unlock 4.0 and opted to fly in their workers to Goa and place them under quarantine for two weeks in rooms at the Kharewaddo jetty.”
“Each flight ticket could cost an average of Rs 10,000 and while this is feasible for trawler owners who need around 7 -8 workers, it is impractical for purse seine boats which need around 30-40 workers,” said D’Souza.
He claimed that some boat owners have brought in their workers by flight, while many others were hoping to get their workers by buses or trains, as and when rail services resume.
“When these boat owners are unsure all travel facilities will fall in place. Their boats are ready but are not operational even though the fishing season beginning a month ago.”
“The fishing season cannot be operated without these labourers who spend 10 months in a year working for us and sending them back safely is our responsibility. The government has not done anything to send the labourers nor get them back.”
Another traditional fisherman, Shaukat Haveri, who operates from the Baina beach, said two of his traditional boats and canoes were stranded along the beach since the last few days as he could not afford to bring workers by flight.
“Labourers are in great shortage and only 10 of the 50 canoes are operational here. My canoes are idle and our interstate workers are willing to come, but since trains have not restarted, they are willing to come by flights.”
“While some workers on other canoes have arrived by flights, word has now gone out that Goan boat owners are willing to bring their workers by flights. We can’t spend lakhs of rupees so much to fly in our workers,” said Haveri.
“We appeal to the government to reopen bus and train services so that workers can arrive to Goa because the fishing season is already bad affected,” he added.
