Lack of political, administrative will to act against LED fishing

Benaulim fisherman Pele Fernandes selling his fish catch in the Margao wholesale fish market.

MARGAO

Fisheries Minister Nilkanth Halarnkar’s promised “zero-tolerance” crackdown on LED fishing — through intensified surveillance and coordination with enforcement agencies — may find few takers. Insiders say the real problem is not enforcement, but the lack of political and administrative will to act against LED fishing, which they attribute to a politico-official-corporate nexus.

Consider this: It is an open secret that fishing vessels equipped with LED lights venture out to sea under cover of darkness, especially between December and April, a period marked by a natural drop in fish catch. Yet, during these months, markets are flooded with high-quality fish — prompting a simple question: Are the Fisheries Minister, the Fisheries Director and their officials genuinely unaware of the activities of LED-fishing operators, or is the department simply turning a blind eye to this illegal practice?

That’s not all. Many argue it requires no rocket science to act against fishing vessels using LED gear, especially since most operate from the  state-owned jetties. This raises further questions: Has the Fisheries Department issued any circular preventing vessels from leaving the jetties unless officials certify they are not carrying LED equipment? More importantly, has the department deployed adequate personnel at these jetties to physically inspect vessels before they venture out for fishing?

Sources familiar with the issue insist that political and administrative determination — not technical expertise — is what is needed to curb LED fishing. “How can the department claim ignorance when it is an open secret that vessels engage in LED fishing at night? When LED lights are loaded onto boats at state-owned jetties, how does this escape the notice of fisheries officials?” asked one source.

They further question whether the government is being unusually benevolent toward these operators by allowing LED equipment to pass through the jetties unchecked — or whether the entire operation continues due to considerations of a different kind.

Who’s responsible 

for LED fishing?

When the ban on LED fishing was introduced around eight years ago, many — including several mechanised boat owners — welcomed the move. There was genuine hope that the ban would put an end to the handful of vessels then engaging in LED fishing. But that hope was misplaced.

With the department failing to crack down on these operations, sources say the government’s inability to enforce the ban in letter and spirit encouraged others to join in. “It was only natural that when some operators returned with huge catches through LED fishing, and government agencies continued to turn a blind eye to the illegal activity, many other boat owners felt tempted to adopt the same method,” sources said.

Fishermen Pele says LED 
fishing has destroyed 
traditional fishermen 

Benaulim-based fisherman Pele Fernandes has blamed the sharp decline in fish catch among traditional fishing communities on the continued use of banned LED fishing. He says the impact is being felt not only by traditional fishermen, but also by fish-loving Goans who once relied on abundant, locally caught fish.

Pele has been vocal for years about the dwindling catch since LED fishing began nearly a decade ago. “Today, traditional fishermen no longer net large fish such as big-sized kingfish, modso, and others that were once plentiful along the coast. This is a major loss both for us fishermen and for Goans who once enjoyed fresh, locally sourced fish,” he said.

He explained the reason behind this shift: “When fishing is carried out at night using LED lights, big fish stay away from the shore. As a result, traditional fishermen have no opportunity to catch them. We have gear like the mag specifically meant for catching large fish, but it is useless now because these fish no longer come close to shore at night due to LED fishing.”

Calling for an urgent government crackdown to ensure sustainable fishing, Pele stressed that LED fishing has benefited only a handful of operators while causing severe damage to marine ecology and the livelihoods of traditional fishing communities.