From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji

Panaji, Aug 2: The lifting of the ban on mechanized fishing has made several hundred trawlers to venture in the sea for a good catch.

But the first day after 45-day-long ban had no much fish being netted by the trawlers, the industry sources said.

“The trawlers returned with meager quantity of solar shrimps. The days ahead are expected to be brighter as the rains continue lashing the state,” M Ibrahim, a wholesale fish seller from Margao town, said.

He said that solar shrimps are being most sought after during this period of the year as they fetch good price. “They also prep up exports,” Ibrahim said.

Goa has four fishing jetties situated across the state from where 800-odd trawlers venture in the high seas for netting the fish. The ban on fishing by mechanized trawlers had began on June 15 and concluded on July 31.

The jetties were opened for operations from August 1.

The situation at Mallim jetty, located across Panaji city, is different. Menino Afonso, Chairman, Mandovi Fisheries Cooperative Society, said that the trawlers who went on their maiden journey will return only after two days.

“We have no communication with the trawlers. How can be we predict anything? We are waiting for them to come back,” Afonso said.

The state government had decided to supply wireless equipments to the crew on the trawlers to keep them in contact with the jetties. But the equipments are yet to be provided.

As per official figure, there are 28,000 people dependent on fishing as their vocation. There are 7,000 people who arrive from states like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerla and Orissa to work on the trawlers.