Fishermen of Goa need insurance cover as they put their lives at risk by venturing into sea for days together, said fisheries minister Nilkanth Halarnkar. There is a difference between an agriculturist and a fisherman. A farmer goes to the farm in the morning, a fisherman goes to the sea. One cannot anticipate the nature of the weather while at sea,” he said.
The newly-inducted minister shed light on the various issues that the fisheries sector is plagued with, and said that his department would look to curtail illegal fishing activities carried out along the Goa coastline by fishing vessels from neighbouring states.
“Small fishermen often complain about illegal fishing activity carried out using LED lights, as a result of which they do not get enough catch. We are also trying to restrict fishermen from Karnataka and Maharashtra from fishing in our waters,” Halarnkar said.
On Centre’s investment in Goa’s fishing sector, Halarnkar said Rs 400 crore will give a boost to fishing activities. Former union minister for fisheries, Giriraj Singh had earlier announced an investment of Rs 400 crore to make Goa a fisheries hub of the country.