MAPUSA
Under mounting pressure from the local fishing community, Goa's Fisheries Minister Nilkanth Halarnkar announced on Tuesday that steps are being taken to address the concerns regarding outstation trawlers from Karnataka entering Goan waters and depriving local fishermen of their livelihood.
Halarnkar stated that he had discussed the issue with Karnataka's Fisheries Director, Dinesh Kumar Kaller, who assured him that action would be taken.
"Kaller has committed to directing Karnataka fishermen to refrain from fishing in Goan waters," Halarnkar said, adding that the Goa Fisheries Department has been tasked with providing the registration numbers of the boats involved.
Kaller has promised to take swift action against any violators.
In response to local protests, the Goa Fisheries Department has activated its enforcement wing, which will work closely with coastal and armed police to monitor and curb illegal fishing activities along the Goan coast.
"Surveillance operations will be stepped up to ensure that outstation boats do not enter our territorial waters," Halarnkar said.
Local fishermen have long raised concerns about the encroachment of trawlers from neighboring States, particularly Karnataka.
Traditional fishermen claim these incursions have significantly affected their livelihood, with Karnataka boats frequently spotted fishing near villages in South Goa.
Among the vocal critics of this illegal fishing is a local fisherman, Pele, who made an emotional appeal to the state government, highlighting the hardships faced by the community.
The issue has reached a boiling point, with Goan fishermen urging the government to take immediate and decisive action.
In a bid to strengthen enforcement, Chandresh Haldankar, Superintendent of Fisheries, has been assigned to the enforcement wing in addition to his current duties.
The local fishing community has demanded that the government implement stronger measures to curb the rampant poaching of fish by outstation boats, stressing the need to protect the livelihoods of traditional Goan fishermen.
