All Goa Purse Seine Boat Owners Association has filed a petition in the High Court of Bombay at Goa alleging violations of the fishing ban. Addressing the media, association Secretary Sebastian Cardozo said the violations are mainly taking place at Vasco and Velsao beaches, where fishermen are using canoes with two motors which is illegal as they can only use a single motor under the rules. Association president Harshad Dhond stated that around 440 boat owners have come together to form the association, so that they can take up various issues and grievances. He said the purpose of forming the association was to take a delegation to New Delhi to pitch for a separate ministry for fisheries at the Centre. He said Goa is the only State which has banned use of LED lights and fishermen from Karnataka come to Goa waters, catch abundant fish using LED lights and export the fish to the Goa markets which is unethical. He added that they have a greater catch due to use of LED lights and local traditional fishermen have to suffer. He also stated that the wholesale fish market in Margao is run mostly by outsiders and Goan fishermen have to suffer and pay an annual rent Rs 10 lakh to the Fisheries Department for use of the Caption of Ports jetty. Meanwhile, Close on the heels of the Goa Fishing Boat Owners Association taking objection to the alleged violation of fishing ban by canoe operators, All Goa Purse Seine Owners have also levelled same allegations. The purse seiners pointed out that last month, there have been several cases of fishing ban violations and that they have evidence of the same. Even on Wednesday the traditional fishermen netted in a huge catch of prawns, they added. However, their main grievance is that the same traditional fishermen who have been raising objections to fishing by purse seiners, allegedly used purse seiner nets and facilities to go fishing, thereby, allegedly going beyond the territory in which they are allowed to operate. They further claimed that even though they had complained in the past about canoes exceeding permissible size, there has been neither action by the fisheries department nor any monitoring of the alleged violations of the ban. Criticising the fisheries department for turning a blind eye to such actions, the purse seiners called for action against those found violating the fishing ban period. They added that they have evidence also of the same.
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