MARGAO
Cutbona-based fisheries societies and fishing associations have knocked the doors of the Fisheries department to resolve the host of issuing plaguing fishing activities, including issues hampering smooth navigation at the mouth of River Sal.
In resolutions adopted by the Cutbona Fisheries Society and the Cutbona Boat/Trawler Owners Association on World Fisheries Day, the boat owners have called for resolving the navigation issues at the River Sal mouth by developing the break-water system for the smooth navigation of fishing vessels.
Society President, Vinay Tari highlighted how the absence of a break-water facility at the River Sal mouth has affected smooth navigation of fishing vessels at the river mouth, posing risks to the fishermen venturing out into the sea for fishing. Tari informed that though the Fisheries department had initiated the training wall project at the river Sal mouth, the matter is presently pending at the National Green Tribunal. “We request the Fisheries Director to take up the matter on a war footing and ensure that the project sees the light of day at the earliest,” Tari added.
The Cutbona Boat/Trawlers Owners Association has also drawn attention of the Fisheries Director that the 226 meter-long new Cutbona Jetty, whose construction was completed almost two years back be inaugurated by December 31, 2020.
That’s not all. The association stated that the existing Cutbona Jetty, which is being presently managed by the Fisheries Department be urgently given a pressure wash with water so as to clean the jetty of all the dirt and fish waste. “That the 20-plus scrapped fishing vessels tied to the jetty be immediately shifted and the debris of the sunken vessels be removed by the Fisheries Department thereby unblocking the spaces so that vessels can come freely with their catch without any inconvenience,” the association said.
Moreover, the association has requested the Fisheries Director to install 50 bio-toilets as an immediate short-term measure at the Cutbona jetty to take care of the sanitation issues staring at the jetty and revamp the existing 10-seater public toilet managed by M/s Sulabh International and repair its over flowing septic tanks.
A request was also made to the Fisheries Department to fast track the process to set up the 50-seater permanent toilet complex in consultation with the Town and Country Planning department, Directorate of Health Services and the Goa State Pollution Control Board.
The association has further requested the Fisheries department to revamp the Fisheries complex adjoining the jetty, saying the neglect of the building and the open land around needs a one-time massive clean-up.
In fact, the association has demanded that the Fisheries Complex at Cutbona be converted into a Fisheries Learning cum Demo Hub for all the PMSSY schemes related to the Fisheries sector by the Fisheries Department. “We will educate our members about the methods of sustainable fishing as advocated by the FAO as well as methods to conserve the fish species by strictly adhering to fishing ban period as stipulated by the Fisheries Department,” the association stated in its letter to the department.
