Goa to push for uniform fishing ban at maritime states meet

Goa will push for a uniform fishing ban of 75 days at next month's meeting of officials and ministers from coastal states in New Delhi.

"We will raise the issue of the uniform fishing ban for 75 days across all coastal states, so that the fish are allowed to reproduce and multiply," fisheries secretary Amjad Tak told reporters Friday.

Goa has a 75-day fishing ban, while neighbouring Karnatala bans fishing for 61 days during the monsoons, when fish breed. The inconsistencies led to rogue fishermen poaching fish from the coastline off neighbouring states, often resulting in seizure of trawlers and enmity between fisherfolk community from the two states.

Tak also said that the Goa government would seek strict enforcement of speed and power regulation of trawlers, mainly the illegal use of high horsepower engines, which are then used to bull-trawl across the sea.

Bull trawling, done with fine-mesh nets, even drags small baby fish and prawns which denies them the opportunity to breed and multiply, causing shortage of fish in the long-term.

Tak said that marine norms mandate only up to 300 BHP engines, but several trawlers roam the seas with much powerful engines. "We are seeking regularisation of trawler engine power," he said.

Tak also said that the state fisheries department was looking at a novel state-managed scheme which involved sale of subsidised fish from door to door, in order to temper the high cost of fish, an essential source of proteins in most Goan homes.

Over-fishing and pollution are creating a fish-famine like condition in Goa, resulted in poor catches and fish prices reaching abnormally high prices.