MARGAO
Where have the fish gone, is a familiar question that echoes at the tintos, fish markets, Goa’s lone wholesale fish market, besides the fishing jetties and the fish landing points dotting along the coast.
Reason: A month into the new fishing season, and the long wait seemed not over yet for fish loving Goemkars as they look forward for the day when a bumper catch will flood the markets with variety of fish. Boat owners and traditional fishermen too have been left to wonder over the fish scarcity.
That’s not all. Fish export processing units dotting at the industrial estates too are anxiously looking forward for a bumper fish landing, to start fish export in a big way, to honour their contractual obligations with the importers in countries of the Far East, including Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, etc.
Take note, this is the time of the year, when people use to normally lay their hands on the great Goan mackerel flooding the markets after the two-month fishing ban.
Attribute it to the changing weather pattern or the rough condition in the Arabian Sea or otherwise, neither the fishing jetties nor the fish landing points along the coast have witnessed any major landing this season so far.
A visit to the Cutbona fishing jetty revealed that dozens of fishing boats have ventured out in the sea in the new fishing season, but the much-sought after Goan mackerel has eluded the fishermen till date. Sources pointed out some of the mechanised boats have been fortunate enough to net the prized tuna fish. However, given there’s hardly any demand for tuna amongst fish-loving Goans, the catch, sources said, major portion of it has been transported by the fish agents to Kerala.
A couple of boat owners pointed out that fishing boats that had ventured out from Cutbona jetty are presently anchored along the Karwar coast due to the bad weather condition. Boat owners agreed that this is perhaps the first time in recent times that the first month of the new season went without major fish catch.
Traditional fishermen too are keeping their fingers crossed. Benaulim-based fisherman Pele Fernandes pointed out that the first month of the new fishing season is a time for the traditional fishermen to earn something through fishing. “The season is bad so far this season. This is the time when fishermen used to net variety of fish, including mackerel, ‘dodayre’, ‘soundarye’, etc barring one or two days, we return back from the fishing trip with crabs,” he said.
Asked to outline the reasons behind the fish scarcity, Pele said the reasons could be varied, including sea conditions, besides man-made factors. “I think the government should rope in experts to find out the fish scarcity so far this season, whether it is due to sea conditions or simply man-made factors,” he said, while reposing his faith in the Almighty for a turnaround.
Fish exporter M Ibrahim informed that rough sea condition is attributed as the major factor that has hit fishing operations along western coast. “We have found out there’s no bumper fish landing all along the west coast this season. Our inquiries have revealed that it is because of rough conditions in the sea,” he said.
With the fish processing units employing hundreds of manpower and no bumper catch till date, the exporters are anxiously looking forward for a turnaround. “We are optimistic that the situation should see a change for the better in the next few days,” Ibrahim added.
