Porvorim: The fisheries department successfully tested drone technology over two months to monitor bull trawling in the state’s waters, fisheries minister Nilkanth Halarnkar told the assembly on Wednesday. A special control room for monitoring has been set up at the fisheries department, and now drones will be used to identify vessels that enter Goa’s waters to deplete its fish stock, he said.Chief minister Pramod Sawant said that the drones are being used to identify violations, in addition to the two existing manual boats used by the state. “We have started taking action against bull trawling. So far, 17-18 boats were seized, and the labourers and others caught are kept in a lock-up for two days as a deterrent,” he said.Halarnkar said such drones are already used effectively by Maharashtra govt. “The drone capacity is up to 20km, and it gives a clear picture even at night. We have two boats already, and additional force will be provided once we start the drone system full-fledged. The high court has already said that we can act against such bull trawling up to 12km. When violations are caught, we auction the fish stock, and they are fined five times this price,” he said.Curtorim MLA Aleixo Reginald Lourenco said, “You will watch the boat from the drone, but how will you attach the boat? This issue has been going on for a long time. Will you be able to stop it? There is a very strong nexus between the department and those bull trawling.”Halarnkar said that the Coast Guard and coastal police will also assist in attaching the violating vessels.Benaulim MLA Venzy Veigas and Mormugao MLA Sankalp Amonkar said that in areas like Baina and Desterro, fishermen don’t even have boat parking facilities, sheds for mending nets, or high mast lighting needed. “Around 500 fishermen are affected,” Amonkar said.Halarnkar said that the required CRZ permission has already been received for the shed, and the work will be tendered within 15 days. “The high mast map costing Rs 1.43 crore has already been tendered by GEDA,” he said.
