In an effort to combat illegal fish merchants in the state, the directorate of fisheries temporarily sealed the gates to the fishing jetties at Malim, Vasco, and Cutbona and prohibited the flow of fish from each location on Wednesday.
The fisheries department sought to let traders and the fisheries cooperative associations know that anomalies would not be accepted, even though this had an impact on the sale of fish from jetties. Shamila Monteiro, the director of fisheries in Goa, gave the police orders to post officers at jetties to prevent the entry of such sellers’ transport vehicles.
She noted that letters seeking applications from traders to register for the fishing season, which runs from August 2022 to May 2023, were published in local media. Public notifications about the matter were also posted in the jetty grounds. Fisheries associations and societies were asked to furnish a list of traders who intend to carry fish from the jetties. However, she mentioned that the fishermen, fisheries groups, and fish traders had not yet responded. Even while trawlers continued to berth at the jetties with shoals of fish, the sites were shut off and traders were prohibited from entering.
Meeting the director, traders, fisherman, and trawler owners asked time and that the matter be discussed with participation from all parties. Later in the day, the director approved the reopening of the jetties.
In order to discuss the matter, the department of fisheries has planned a meeting with the heads of fishing cooperative organisations and fishing traders for November 25 at the Secretariat, Porvorim.
