MARGAO
Bull trawling, an illegal fishing mode resorted to mechanised fishing vessels from the neighbouring States in Goa’s territorial waters, came back to haunt the fishing stakeholders during the weekend.
Cavelossim-based fisherman and Chairperson of the Cavelossim Bio-diversity Committee Roy Barretto caught on camera how big fishing vessels from outside the State were indulging in bull trawling activities in the State’s territorial waters.
On a fishing trip in his water sports boat off the Cabo de Rama coast on Saturday noon, Roy Barretto came across a fleet of vessels from outside the State fishing close to the Goa coast. To his shock and surprise, Roy found that the fishing vessels were not only fishing very close to the Goa coast, but were resorting to the illegal fishing activity bull trawling.
In fact, he focused his camera on the two vessels, which were found moving together with a rope tied to each other. “The rope connecting the two fishing vessels is nothing but bull trawling indulged by these outside vessels”, he said.
That’s not all. Roy claimed that the position of the other vessels, moving in pairs in the sea, showed they were indulging in the dangerous and destructive mode of fishing, threatening the environment and the marine resources. “Bull trawling is banned by the government since the fishing mode destroys marine resources. I went close to the pair of fishing vessels with my sports boat, only to find the vessels involved in bull trawling”, he said.
Roy added: “Just because I went close to these outside fishing vessels, I could manage to capture them on my camera when they were into bull trawling. These boats must be coming close to the coast and fishing with illegal methods”.
Earlier this month, a resident of Sernabatim-Colva, Calvert Gonsalves had dashed off a letter to the Fisheries Secretary and Director of Fisheries on the danger posed to the marine resources by bull trawling and LED fishing.
Asserting large-scale bull trawling is taking place at least three times a week and LED light fishing taking place every second day with the exception of moonlit nights, Calvert had suggested that the fisheries Department hire (water sports operators) speedboats with enough capacity to accommodate the raiding staff. He said a distress number on the lines of the “Flying squad” be made public 24x7 and that a dedicated Police team be made available a la traffic police 24x7 and this Police be made readily available.
Last week, traditional fishermen from the State’s coastal belt had protested bull trawling by fishing vessels from Malpem, and the damaged caused to their fishing nets.
