NT NETWORK

Panaji

Amid efforts to develop local fisheries as an industry, fish catch in the state is declining with the total quantity of fish netted by trawler operators and traditional fishermen decreasing by 12 per cent in 2019-20.

The government on Tuesday revealed that the fish catch came down to 1,05,547 tonne in 2019-20 from 1,20,288 tonne in the previous year.

Further, the current year (2020-21) is also expected to close with a lower fish catch, as only 78,249 tonne of fish has been caught up to January 2021.

As per information disclosed by Fisheries Minister Filipe Neri Rodrigues on the floor of the House, of the total fish catch of 78,249 tonne, marine catch was 74,092 tonne, while 4,157 tonne of fish was caught in the inland waters.

According to the minister, the state’s blue economy currently comprises 841 Goans having trawlers and engaged in the fishing business. There are a total of 908 mechanised fishing vessels registered in the state, 1,710 motorised canoes, 275 non-motorised canoes and nine sports fishing vessels.

Fishermen carry out operations in the territorial waters of Goa as well as the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of India. There are six landing jetties in the state where the trawlers bring their catch – the jetties are at Chapora, Malim, Talpona, Cutbona, Cortalim and Vasco. Fishing activities are also carried out in all the rivers of the state.

To encourage fish production, the state government has about 12 ongoing schemes for the local fishermen community. These include financial assistance for construction of wooden or FRP fishing canoes, financial assistance for purchase of net and other accessories, assistance for purchase of fuel, insulated boxes, interest subsidy on loans, GST subsidy on diesel oil, assistance to brackish water aquaculture farms, mussel faming and for value addition in seafood.

To promote fishing activities, the Goa State Mariculture Policy 2020 was notified in August 2020, said the government. As per the policy, overfishing, particularly of the near-shore fishery, has resulted in a significant decline in catch per unit in the state. The state also suffers from proliferation of illegal fish catch methods, harvesting of larger number of juveniles and spiralling of fish prices. The fish harvest is at present “stabilised low”, as stocks are continuously overfished, says
the policy.