On April 22, fourteen fishing boats from Karnataka and Maharashtra were found illegally fishing in Goan waters. Of these, two escaped, two anchored at sea due to engine failure, and ten were impounded and brought to the Panaji jetty. The next day at 7 a.m., four boats (three with fish catch) escaped. As per reports, the fisheries department had requested the coastal police to guard the boats, but none turned up. According to the department, the vessels cannot be held for long as it would be seen as unlawful detention. This is contradictory. The fact that the boats were seized was due to illegal fishing activity; hence, how can the detention be unlawful? Similar to traffic police, the coastal police or fisheries department could have taken away the engine keys of the ten boats. Later, the other six vessels were let off, and the owners of the four boats that fled have been booked. Something smells fishy in the whole affair. Fishing is one of the backbones of Goa’s economy, and now even this is being affected by unlawful fishing in Goan waters by fishers from other states.
