Goa govt pledges to examine fishermen's welfare schemes, protect interests

The Goa fisheries department has decided to review the schemes for the welfare of fishermen in the state and to provide them with the much-needed support.

There are only a few fishermen left now and the government is committed to protecting their interests, state fisheries minister Vinod Palyekar told PTI today.

"My department will now review all the schemes and beneficiaries of last ten years," he said.

Palyekar said he will meet the traditional fishermen by visiting their villages across Goa to know their issues.

"The department has decided to launch a 'fishermen dialogue' to interact with the traditional fishermen and understand their problems," he said.

The minister, his department officials and fisheries secretary Govind Jaiswal are likely to visit the fishermen in their villages next month.

"I have asked my department officials to chalk out a tour programme and identify the villages were maximum fishermen are based. We will start (the tour) in a month's time once the blueprint of the same is ready," Palyekar said.

All these years, the traditional fishermen were deprived of their rights, he said.

"We are committed to protecting Goem, Goemkar, Goenkarponn (Goa, Goan and Goanness) of our local fishermen," the minister said.

There are many problems faced by the traditional fishermen. "We will identify those by interacting with them and come out with a solution," Palyekar said.

"A dialogue with traditional fishermen to understand their problems and solve it is the only way forward to ensure that traditional fishing continues," the minister added.