Chief Minister Pramod Sawant ordered a crackdown on illegal fishing by boats from outside the State on Tuesday and called for stringent action that included a hefty fine of up to Rs 10 lakh and the seizure of boats. It may be noted that local fishermen have been up in arms over fishing vessels from neighbouring Karnataka, especially from Malpem, engaging in bull trawling in Goan waters and causing long-term damage to marine life.
Sawant was very vocal in expressing himself. “Illegal fishing activities by non-Goan fishermen have become a growing menace. The government will not allow them to steal the livelihoods of Goa’s traditional fishermen who have been fishing sustainably for generations”, he thundered. Fisheries Minister Nilkanth Halarnkar said that his department is committed to safeguarding the interest of local fishermen and maintaining the balance in the marine ecosystem.
On paper, all these assurances appear confidence-building measures that could ease the frustration among local fishermen since fishing boats from Maplem continue to intrude into Goan waters at will. In fact, large vessels from the neighbouring states have been happily indulging in LED fishing and bull trawling without any intervention from Goa’s side, except for the shrill voices of local fishermen who were witnesses to the illegalities. If we recall, Benaulim-based fisherman Pele Fernandes stripped his clothes last month as a sign of protest and questioned the government’s hesitancy in acting.
It is a positive sign that the chief minister has taken cognisance of the issue, but the question is whether the hefty fine that is proposed now is backed by law. A mere announcement of a Rs 10 lakh fine is not enough. There has to be a provision in the law that prescribes such a penalty, and if the existing law already has such a clause, the obvious question is why it was not being implemented all this while.
Secondly, besides the fines, the government also mentions that intruding boats will be seized. The question is how? Not too long ago, photos of boats engaging in bull trawling in Goan waters were going viral, and there were videos too, but there was no action forthcoming. The fisheries minister was muted to the pleas of Goa’s traditional fishermen even as locals engaged watersports boats to shoo away intruders.
When the government speaks of the seizure of neighbourhood boats, one wonders how that would be possible when we are equipped with only one operational interceptor boat in the State which is stationed at either the Panaji Jetty or Vasco Harbour, as per the disclosure made in the July assembly session. It is to be seen whether the recently acquired High-density polyethylene boats will be deployed and whether these boats can serve the purpose.
The measures prescribed by Sawant will only make sense when the State is fully equipped with men and machinery along the coast. The lack of intent to tackle intruding vessels was not visible all these years. The systemic failure on this count raises serious questions about the credibility of the fisheries department. It’s time the government walks its talk and protects the interests of local fishermen with a complete overhaul of monitoring and interception systems, including timely aerial interventions.
