THROWING LIGHT ON LED FISHING

MAPUSA

Despite a statutory ban and repeated assurances from the State, illegal LED fishing by outside trawlers continues unabated along Goa’s coastline, exposing severe gaps in enforcement and raising concerns over long-term marine sustainability.

Over the past month, traditional fishermen from Colva to Chapora have reported a surge in mechanised vessels – primarily from neighbouring states – operating deep into the night using high-powered LED lights.

These lights attract large shoals of fish, including juveniles, making it easy for trawlers to sweep up entire schools in a single haul.

The fisheries department maintains that patrols are being carried out, but ground realities suggest otherwise.

Fishermen say patrol boats are either unavailable, under repair or rarely seen at night when LED fishing typically takes place.

With limited manpower and poor coordination between the Fisheries Department, Coastal Police and Coast Guard, enforcement remains largely symbolic.

Ban is just a 

piece of paper

Along the coastal stretch from Colva to Chapora, fishermen tell the same story: outside trawlers enter Goan waters late into the night, switch off their AIS tracking and deploy LED lights in violation of every regulation.

“We lodge complaints almost every week. By the time we reach the sea at dawn, everything is gone. It feels like we are fishing in a desert. A ban is just a piece of paper if no one is enforcing it,” said Joaquim Fernandes, a Ramponkar from Morjim.

Several fishermen claim they stopped confronting the trawlers after being threatened at sea. “They come in large groups, sometimes five or seven boats together. We cannot fight them. We need the government to act, not us,” says a fisherman from Chapora, who requested anonymity.

Accusations of 

collusion

National Fish Workers Forum General Secretary Olencio Simoes alleged that LED fishing is continuing “in full swing” along Goa’s coast and accused the government of deliberately failing to act despite being fully aware of the problem.

He claimed the authorities lacked both the willingness and the mechanism to take proactive action.

“The scale of LED fishing in deep waters shows clear connivance between fisheries department officials and the LED mafia,” Simoes alleged.

Echoing his concerns, Balbhim Malvankar, a member of the Chapora Boat Owners Fisheries Cooperative Society, said LED fishing had become rampant along Goan waters while the government “looked the other way”.

Despite filing multiple complaints, he said, no action had been initiated.

“The government knows LED fishing is happening, but the department refuses to act because officials are involved in the scam,” Malvankar claimed.

Simoes added that the issue has been formally raised with the Director of Fisheries and that stakeholders are now considering approaching the court.

In contrast, All Goa Fishing Boat Owners Association (GFBOA) President Jose Philip D’Souza argued that bull trawling posed a far greater threat to marine life than LED fishing.

He said this season had seen abundant catches, including for small fishermen, which suggested LED fishing was being exaggerated by some groups.

“Some fishermen raise the bogey of LED fishing. The fishing industry runs into crores, and internal differences lead groups to pull each other down,” he said, downplaying the LED fishing concerns.

Officials insist 

of action taken

Director of Fisheries, Shamila Monteiro said that the department conducts “regular patrols” and has taken action whenever LED fishing is detected.

“We have a dedicated team of officials and we coordinate with the Coastal Police. Several cases have been booked in the last two weeks alone,” she said.

When pressed on manpower and vessel availability, she acknowledged challenges.

“We do face constraints but we are in the process of augmenting our fleet,” she said and explained the department’s plan to hire canoes to strengthen near-shore patrolling at five strategic coastal points.

On the issue of outside vessels entering Goan waters, she said the department officials do their best to track and seize vessels that violate rules.

“We cannot prevent vessels from operating in deep waters since there is no fixed maritime boundary, but whenever we receive information that they have entered our territory, our patrol team intercepts the vessels, seizes them and books the fishermen,” she said.

Promises still 

pending

During the monsoon Assembly session, Fisheries Minister Nilkanth Halarnkar had assured strict enforcement against bull trawling and LED fishing, calling them threats to traditional fishermen and marine ecology.

He also announced drone-based aerial surveillance along Goa’s coast, but the project remains stalled pending government approval.

The plan involved deploying two drones – one each for North and South Goa – to strengthen monitoring of territorial waters and deter illegal fishing. Despite repeated assurances and earlier crackdowns, both banned practices continue to be reported.

With climate change already affecting fish migration patterns, traditional fishermen say the additional pressure of LED trawlers is pushing the ecosystem to a breaking point.

As Goa enters the busiest months of the fishing season, the gulf between policy and practice remains stark. Unless the government backs its words with swift, visible action, LED fishing may soon erode not only marine resources but also a centuries-old coastal way of life.