Panaji: Trawler owners have flagged a steep hike in bulk diesel prices, stating that it is no longer economically viable to operate trawlers, and have demanded immediate government intervention to reduce prices on par with those offered to fishermen in Gujarat.
The All Goa Purse Seiners Boat Owners Association and the Mandovi Fishermen Marketing Cooperative Society have formally written to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Fisheries Minister Nilkanth Halarnkar on the issue.
“We operate around 450 purse-seine trawlers from three major jetties in Goa, that is Malim, Vasco and Cutbona. The central government has increased bulk diesel prices by approximately Rs 23, which makes operation of our trawlers impossible as it is economically not viable,” said All Goa Purse Seiners Boat Owners Association president Harshad Dhond.
“We would like to bring to your notice that we provide 70 per cent of fish landings to the local markets. With these prices, our fishing operations will come to a halt and fish prices in the market will soar,” he said, requesting the state government to immediately take up the matter with the central government and reduce prices as provided to Gujarat fishermen.
Similarly, Mandovi Fishermen Marketing Co-operative Society Ltd chairman Francisco D’Souza said that they have around 275 trawlers, of which about 30 per cent are already non-operational due to the high cost of existing diesel prices.
“Now, as our diesel price has been steeply increased by approximately Rs 23, it would be next to impossible to run these trawlers as it is economically not viable to operate them at this price,” he said.
He urged the state government to take up the matter with the central government and ensure that similar relaxation is given as provided to Gujarat fishermen.
“We request you to kindly do it on an urgent basis to make sure that there is no stoppage of fish in the market, as it is a staple diet of Goans,” he said.
