‘LED fishing and bull trawling disrupt natural reproductive cycles and cause fish starvation’

Team herald

MARGAO: A concerned citizen from Colva, Calvert Gonsalves, has raised the alarm over the adverse impact of LED light fishing and bull trawling along the Goa coastline, in a letter addressed to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and the Chief Secretary. These fishing practices, which take place within 500 metres to 3 kilometres of the coast, are reportedly destroying fish habitats and threatening the livelihoods of local fishermen.

Gonsalves, former deputy sarpanch of Colva panchayat, stressed that these destructive practices are not only detrimental to the fishing community but are also leading to a ‘fish famine’ in the region. He called for urgent government intervention to ensure the sustainability of the fishing sector, which is vital for both economic stability and cultural heritage of Goa.

In his letter, Gonsalves proposed practical steps to address the problem, such as equipping the Fisheries Department with speedboats for effective patrols and setting up a 24×7 emergency hotline similar to a flying squad. He also called for a special police team to support enforcement efforts.

According to Gonsalves, bull trawling is carried out at least three times a week and LED fishing is carried out every other day, except during moonlit nights. These activities, he claimed, have disrupted the natural reproductive cycles of fish, causing a “fish famine.”

“The fishing industry in Goa goes on and on and on. Throughout the year, different species of fish come to breed in the shallow waters of the coast, bays and nearby coastal hills. The coast is full of small fish like Queenfish, which eat plankton, shellfish, sand crabs, mole crabs and saiye. Bigger predatory fish come and eat the smaller fish and the cycle of interdependence continues,” he said.

He further alleged that some Malpai fishermen, who are involved in these practices, are protected by a larger “fishermen’s mafia” in Goa, which controls both the sale of fish and the fish processing. He alleged that there is also an oral contract/agreement between the Goan fish mafia and the Malpai bull trawlers.

Gonsalves also called for fishmeal factories in Goa to be shut down between August 1 and October 30, arguing that reducing the demand for young fish during this period would prevent overfishing. He also recommended installing CCTV cameras outside fishmeal factories to monitor operations and ensure compliance.