MARGAO
The stalemate over the registration of fish traders and agents seemed finally over after the Fisheries department did a climb down on the fees levied on the traders and the boat owners.
The deadlock was resolved after a meeting between representatives of the boat owners operating from the Cutbona, Vasco and Panjim jetties with the Fisheries Minister Nilkhant Halarnkar, Fisheries Director Dr Shamila Monteiro and other officials on Tuesday.
President of Cutbona Fisheries Society Vinay Tari informed that the vexed issue of registration and levying fees on fish traders and the boat owners have been resolved with the Fisheries department reducing the fees on the fish traders to Rs 1.2 lakh per annum instead of Rs two lakh.
Tari has further informed that boat owners engaged in self-loading of fish for transportation will be levied Rs 50,000. “Boat owners will be charged a composite fee of Rs 3000 per annun, including vessel license, net fee and transportation”, he said.
Replying to a question whether the boat owners are happy over the new fee structure unveiled by the Fisheries department, Tari said only time will tell whether or not it will benefit the boat owners.
Sources said the boat owners are also believed to have raised the question of the fish traders operating in the wholesale fish market and whether the department has levied any fees on them for trading in fish.
Meanwhile, Velim MLA Cruz Silva has said the order dated June 17, 2020 issued by the government on registration of fish traders and fish vendors was approved without taking the views of the concerned fishermen. Saying that the order is against the interest of the local people, the Velim MLA also pointed out that all the present traders are outsiders (Non-Goans), pointing out that direct collection of registration fees from the traders will give them rights of the jetty which will lead to exercising control of jetty in the hands of Non Goan traders, as can see today at SGPDA market, Margao.
“Let the Cutbona Fisheries Co-operative Society Ltd /Cutbona Fisheries Union/ Cutbona Boat Owners Federation register the traders and collect the recommended fees from them and immediately deposit it in Fisheries Department. Or, let the Fisheries Department collect the necessary fees from each fish carrying vehicle of traders at the toll gate near the entrance of Cutbona Jetty”, Cruz stated, while making a plea to the government not to let the jetties become same like SGPDA market, Margao.
