Panaji: Despite the 61-day annual fishing ban ending last week and the new fishing season officially commencing on Aug 1, Goa’s mechanised fishing fleet remains largely anchored at jetties across the state, with rough sea conditions preventing fishermen from venturing into the Arabian Sea.Boat owners said only a small fraction of migrant workers have returned to the state. Even trawlers that are fully staffed have largely remained at the jetties, with operators choosing to wait for calmer seas before setting sail. The India Meteorological Department has issued a yellow alert for the Goa coast until Aug 6.Goa Boat Owners Association chairperson Jose Felipe D’Souza said fewer than a quarter of the mechanised trawlers operating from the Vasco fishing jetty have ventured out so far.“Only about 20% of the bigger trawlers have gone fishing. Those that have gone are the ones that are fully ready with workers. Many others have stayed back because the sea is very rough,” D’Souza told TOI.“The weather is not good. There are strong currents and high waves. It is risky to go out fishing for another two to three days,” he said.The situation is even more subdued at the Cutbona jetty, where not a single mechanised trawler has ventured out since the season opened.Cutbona fishermen’s society chairman Savio D’Silva said rough seas have delayed the start of operations despite preparations being under way.“Only about 15 to 20 boats are currently ready for deployment out of nearly 300 boats based at the jetty. Only a limited number of migrant workers have returned so far. We expect fishing operations to gather pace only after Aug 10, if the weather improves,” he said.At the Malim jetty, fishermen are closely monitoring weather forecasts in the hope that calmer seas over the next few days will allow the mechanised fleet to resume operations.“The slow resumption of operations is expected to temporarily affect the arrival of fresh marine fish in local markets, with catches likely to remain limited until more trawlers begin operations and sea conditions stabilise,” said Francisco D’Souza, chairperson of the Mandovi Fisheries Cooperative Society.
