Panaji: The acute shortage of commercial LPG cylinders has begun to plague the state’s fishing industry. Mechanised boat owners said that their fishing operations could grind to a halt if the crisis persists. This, in turn, is likely to lead to seafood shortage and increased fish prices in markets across the state.“If we cannot get cylinders, we cannot send boats out. That will be the biggest blow to the fishing industry,” said Jose Philip, president, Goa Fishing Boat Owners Association.LPG cylinders are critical for cooking food for crews on long fishing voyages. Without them, many deep sea vessels that are at sea anywhere between seven to 25 days may be forced to remain anchored. “Large vessels have around 40 workers, including the captain. How will we cook food for them without gas? If boats do not go out, there will be a shortage of fish in the market,” he added.Goa currently has over 824 registered fishing vessels and 2,272 fishing canoes, according to fisheries data compiled till June 2025.Boat owners say vessels that travel far into the Arabian Sea are the most affected because they remain at sea for long durations and must carry multiple cylinders. Mandovi Fishermen Cooperative Society Ltd chairman, Francisco D’Souza, said a typical trip requires around seven cylinders. “We are trying to get them from another dealer, but there is no help,” he said. The society operates 250 vessels from Malim jetty alone and requires 60 to 100 cylinders per day.Some fishing cooperatives say they may try to switch to diesel-based cooking systems if LPG remains unavailable. “We can keep our boats running even if LPG is not supplied. But the cost of running will increase if we shift to diesel,” said Sebastiao Cardozo, chairman, Cutbona Purse Seiners Cooperative Society.Jerry Fernandes, chairman, Zuari Fishermen Marketing Cooperative Society Ltd, said the shortage appears more acute in Panaji than in other fishing hubs. He also warned that rising fuel and operational costs could push up fish prices. “For now, we are still running on the old rates, but we have not yet received new supplies,” he said.Operators of large purse-seine vessels, that stay at sea longer than smaller boats, say they are particularly vulnerable. “We are already out of stock,” said Harshad Dhond, president, All Goa Purse Seine Boat Owners Association. “The boats that arrived on Thursday morning could not find cylinders. Three to four boats have not gone out since. More boats will be anchored in the coming days,” Dhond said.He said that purse-seine boats usually carry five to six cylinders for trips that can last 20 to 25 days, while smaller fishing boats carry fewer cylinders for shorter trips lasting seven to 10 days.“We are looking for alternatives like electric or diesel cooking systems, but the question is whether it can handle cooking for 30 to 40 people onboard,” he said.Traditional fishermen, or ramponkars, using canoes say they are unlikely to be impacted by the LPG shortage because their fishing trips last only a few hours. Fishermen from the Nirvikar Fishing Cooperative Society in Pernem said their boats go out and return the same day, eliminating the need for onboard cooking. “As long as we are still operating, we can ensure that the fish markets will not run empty,” traditional fisherman Bhim Pednekar said.
