From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji
 
Panaji, Jul 30: In a stark irony, the fish catch in Goa is declining while exports from the state have witnessed upward trend.
 
This was revealed in a written answer tabled on the floor of the house by fisheries minister Joaquim Alemao.
 
The exports have almost doubled from 11,001 metric tones in the year 2005 to 21,328 metric tones during calendar year 2008. But the fish catch has gone down sizeable from 10,7281 metric tones to 2005 to 9,1849 last year.
 
The fish demand records available mention that in the year 2006, 14,117 metric tones of fish catch was exported as against 17,531 metric tones in 2007.
 
But the fish catch scenario pictures a grim scenario. The catch which was 10,0457 metric tones in the year 2006 plunged to 94,255 metric tones in 2007.
 
Goa exports major chunk of its fish to USA, Japan and other European countries. The traditional fishing with the non mechanised boats contributes for hardly 25% while mechanised boats have 75% of the fishing share.
 
The state government has attributed the lesser fish catch from the Ocean surrounding the state to `after effects of Tsunami.’
 
"There is a slight decrease in the catch for the last two years which may be attributed possibly due to natural phenomena like disturbance in the breeding ground, change in the current of water and after effects of Tsunami,” Alemao added