Panaji: A senior minister in Goa government on Tuesday accused the fishermen from neighbouring states of Maharashtra and Karnataka of illegally fishing in Goan waters using banned practices leading to scarcity of catch for the local traditional fishing community.
BJP MLA and State Ports Minister Michael Lobo on Tuesday met Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant with the delegation of traditional fishermen seeking the notification of the rules, which bans usage of LED lights and bull trawling in the waters of Goa.
Loo told reporters that the fishermen from neighbouring Maharashtra and Karnataka were fishing using LED gears and bull trawling technique in Goan waters as the same practice is banned in their respective states.
He said that in absence of proper rules and regulations, the Goan waters are vulnerable for such violations. “Goa government has already announced that such practices are banned in the state. We need to notify the existing rules and regulations,” Lobo said.
The minister said that State Fisheries Department should implement the rules, according to which, the fishermen who is caught violating the norm will have to pay fine, which is five times the cost of the fish that he has netted.
Lobo said that the vessels available with the state fisheries department are inadequate for apprehending the trawlers who are violating the norms, but state Ports Department can provide necessary boats for the officials to keep a vigil on the violations off-shore.
