The old men and the Sal

The chirping of the birds, the playful sounds of kids, the leisurely chat in the street corners and verandahs of homes whose yards are full of leftover fish drying in the sun. This is not just any scene from a rustic movie or a sketch from a scrap book but a real life picture postcard of Betul – a serene fishing village in Salcete inhabited predominantly by the Hindu fishing community. With the adjacent Cutabona jetty, Betul is one of the most important fishing ports in South Goa where all the mechanized boats and deep sea trawlers bring in their catch.

Evenings in Betul are lazy and the friendly group of people living here spend them conversing on diverse issues that affect their livelihood. Situated along the Southern end of river Sal, Betul, an important fishing port for deep sea trawlers and fishing boats, is free from tourists. It has a comparatively small and secluded beach, shaded by fruit trees and coconut palms though there is a long stretch of silvery beaches on either side from Mobor and Cavellosim, to Varca, Benaulim, Majorda, Bogmalo, etc.

Comprising of seven wards – Postawada, Kurniwada, Tankawada, Navawada, Peerwada, Nakeri-Tembiwada and Kanaginniwada – Betul has approximately 900 homes and a population of 3800. Baring a handful of Catholic seafarers who after retirement have taken to fishing, the majority are Hindu fisherfolks. The locals have around 200 canoes, 50 motorboats and three trawlers while around 400 trawlers from other areas also park here making the place crowded and unsafe for local, traditional and small fishermen who are agitated with the mechanical fishing that has disturbed their livelihoods.

At the lower end of the housing row on a rocky base at Postawada facing the sea and river Sal stands their lone local guardian – Khandeshwar Rakhandar. “We, fishermen, do not get into the sea seeking the blessings of Khandeshwar,” informs Babi Joshi, who catches katale with his net and a small canoe. Babi has met with accidents three times and strongly believes that it is the Rakhandar who saves him each time. The locals offer sur to the Rakhandar every Sunday and Wednesday. “Our previous generations also believed in the Rakhandar; that he would watch out for their safety in the sea,” adds Babi.

“Yes, tourists do visit and hunt for our virgin, silvery beach but most get disheartened after finding only a small stretch of sandy beach fronting the sea,” states Sudhakar Joshi, a local fishermen, activist and ex-sarpanch of Betul. “Ours was originally a Brahmin family that settled down in this remote village centuries ago and embraced the fishing occupation as a source of livelihood. Though I don’t know much about my great grandparents, my father Vitthal Joshi and his father Babu Joshi fished to fend for their families. My children Vipul and Vinisha will be the fourth generation fisher folks in my family," shares Sudhakar.

Fishermen from Bapsora, Rangalli, Nakeri-Betul, Juve Bandar, Bhatar, Cutabona, etc, followed a strict disciplinary routine in the past. They fished only at nights beginning with no moon night and for 15 days thereafter. The following fortnight was a resting period – for the sea, the fish and the fishermen. “Our ancestors did this for breeding purposes. Each canoe also had a pagi (master) who was an expert in locating the fish. Depending upon the movement of the sea waves, he would know which type of fish is underwater and then direct his team to throw the nets and catch it. Even at nights, he would be able to tell exactly where and what fish was present. Gone are those days.," he recounts.

Locals recall the expertise of Pagis like Bhikaro Kocharekar and Mohan Joshi who are no more. While their living counterparts, Parshuram Kerkar (60) and Pandhari Kerkar (50) are jobless, Dhakoji Mehta misses those enchanting nights on sea and the joy of getting a good catch. Today, expert masters are not required to locate the fish. Neither is any routine followed. "The greed is at its peak now, and a fish finder sonar with television screen shows where the fish is. The speedy trawlers reach the location within minutes and catch the whole lot in seconds. This happens all the time, non-stop for 24 hours. There is no moonlight fishing now as was compulsory 30 years ago and no breathing or breeding period for the sea,” sighs Sanju Tari as this has resulted in a decrease in the quantity of fish.

Today, there is less fish in the sea also due to the overuse of LED lights which the steel boats, purse seines carry. The traditional fishermen are bothered by these harmful LEDs which are used to lure fish to the surface. “Science has brought no progress, only regression,” laments Sudhakar.

“Let us live peacefully,” demand the local fishermen – hodekar, tisrekar, jobekar, khubekar, kalwakar, shinanekar, patholikar, etc whose livelihood depend on shallow water fish. Dilip Kerkar who has a traditionally selected place for catching tisryo and kalwa, is worried that the place may lose its sanctity due to the traffic of trawlers. Jagdish Juwadkar says, “Joba and shinani are fast depleting and soon they will be extinct from the area due to the crowd of fishing trawlers on the seashore and in river Sal.” For him, it is a question of livelihood and survival as shrimps, prawns, clams, oysters and mussels are found 200 metres from the sea. Ajit Chodankar, 45, is into fishing since he was a teenager and though he owns a wooden boat worth Rs 5-6 lakh, he is not happy with the overcrowding of mechanical vessels in their traditional fishing area.

It was sometime back when angry traditional fishermen from this village asked the government to intervene and restrict the movement of fishing vessels as the congestion in river Sal has adversely hit their traditional occupation. “We even met the Captain of Ports to raise a banner of protest against unregulated entry and exit of mechanised fishing vessels in the river,” briefs Sudhakar who represents the local traditional fishermen, but to no avail. As for the residents of this village, all they are looking for is a listening ear.

Photo Credit: Narayan Pissurlekar

Photo Captions:

1 - (In one photo there are local fishermen discussing at the Betul fort -

(L to R - Pandhari Kerkar, Jagdish Juwadkar, Dilip Kerkar, Sudhakar Joshi, Vinod Kerkar, Sanju Tari and Ajit Wadekar)

The ones with this mail are of Khandeshwar Rakhandar and a traditional fishermen who is catching shinane and of shinane. These pics are taken by me during my first visit to Betul, but please give Pissurlekar's the credit for them as well.