Goemakrponn desk
PORVORIM:
Goenchea Raponkarancho Ekvott is a federation of traditional fisherma of Goa, on behalf of 80,000 small and traditional fishing communities of Goa has demanded immediate action on LED light fishing and Bull trawling.
In a memorandum submitted to the Fisheries Minister Filipe Nery Rodrigues, Dr. Sharmila Monteiro, Director, Fisheries department, Dr. Pramod P Sawant, Chief Minister of Goa, the Ekvott said that they are very grateful to the state and central government for taking initiative to Ban destructive gears like Bull or pair trawling and use of LED lights equipped with or with generator in Indian Exclusive Zone (IEZ),
However, they said, the implementation to ban this destructive gears has failed to a great extent in the State of Goa.
“Since 2018 we have submitted several written objection and had N number of meeting highlighting the illegal use of LED light fishing and Bull trawling but the department has failed to implement ban the on Bull trawling and use of LED lights in the territorial waters of the state,” said Agnel Fernandes (president) and Olencio Simoes (Secretary) of GRE.
They said despite government notification there is rampant violation still continued in territorial waters and Indian Exclusive Zone (IEZ).
“This blatant violation of Goan fishing trawlers has gone to an extent that they were found using LED lights fishing in Maharashtra specially in Districts of Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg where several Goan fishing trawlers have been impounded by fisheries department of Maharashtra,” they say.
GRE says the fishermen of Districts of Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg are protesting to take action against this blatant violation done by Goan fishing trawlers and others.
“The patrol vessel Ave Maria-14 designed to conduct patrolling in territorial water but the crew employed is unfit as such all need to be suspended as even after repeated complains still no action has been taken on the violators till date,” they say.
The GRE says the LED lights used are of mostly 5000 watts upto 25000 watts which are powered by additional genset generator, which attracts fish and due to the intense heat generated by the lights the juvenile fish along will all corals and marine vegetation gets destroyed.
“The several species of dismal and nocturnal fish habitat will be destroyed as such the use of LED lights will totally destroyed ecology and the fish will get totally extinct as the LED lights will completely destroy their nursing grounds of several species of fish,” they said.
Further they demanded, “We demand the Fisheries Minister and Chief Minister to intervene in the matter and take necessary action to impound the use of LED lights with genset/generators within stipulated time Failing which we will be compelled to take law in hand if blatant violation is continued, as this illegal use of destructive gears is depriving us for our livelihood.”
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