The traditional fishermen have reportedly threatened to surrender their vessels and canoes to the fisheries department and launch a begging agitation in front of the department if the government fails to act against bull trawling and use of LED lights and high speed engines for fishing. The threat was reportedly conveyed to Fisheries Minister Avertano Furtado and Fisheries Director Sharmila Monterio during a meeting the fishermen had with the duo, at Avertano’s Navelim residence, on Tuesday. The fishermen who have been opposing the use of LED lights, high speed engines and bull trawling, met Avertano and Monterio seeking to know the status of the memorandum they had submitted on the issue, earlier. Those who met Furtado and Monterio include Goenchea Ramponkaranchea Ekvott (GRE) President Agnelo Rodriguez, GRE Joint General Secretary Olencio Simoes, the secretary of National Fish workers’ Forum, the presidents of 13 traditional fishermen associations and the chairmen of seven boat owners associations. At the meeting, GRE reportedly threatened the fisheries minister and the director that if they failed to act within the stipulated time, then the fishermen across Goa would be forced surrender their fishing vessels and canoes to the fisheries department. The GRE also reportedly threatened to launch an agitation wherein the fisher women and their children would beg in front of the fisheries department. According to GRE, the begging agitation is meant to highlight that if the destructive fishing gears are permitted, then the traditional fishermen would lose their livelihood and would have no place to eat or sleep. It is learnt that Furtado and Monterio reportedly assured the traditional fishermen, at the meeting, that in two days time, they would receive the notification on illegalities after which they would act against the trawlers that violate the same. It is instructive that some time ago the fishermen had submitted a memorandum to the minister demanding a ban on use of LED lights, bull trawling and high speed engine (China engine), engines that exceed 300hp. According to them, they violated the Goa Marine Fishing Regulation Act.
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