The chief minister announced that the Cabinet has approved the proposal to reduce the fishing ban period for trawlers from August 15th (or Narali Purnima whichever is earlier) to July 31st. For mechanized canoes, the cut-off date is July 15th.
He said most of the States have gone on these lines adding that Karnataka and Maharashtra have already reduced the ban period. To a query, the chief minister also stated that the view of the Environment Department has already been taken.
With this decision, the Marine Regulation Act may have to be amended, as Goa Assembly session begins on August 11th. It may be recalled that from the environment point of view, the Indian government had banned mechanized fishing activity during monsoon. Monsoon is also the breeding season of fish.
For the last few months, the trawler owners’ lobby, armed with the Karnataka government’s decision, had been pursuing with the government for reduction in the fishing ban period. Goenchea Ramponkarancho Ekvott and Cortalim MLA Matanhy Saldanha had been strongly opposing any move to dilute the ban.