PANAJI: The 45-day monsoon fishing ban in Goa came to an end on July 31, with the department of fisheries opening the seals to various fishing jetties around Goa and commencing the work of providing adequate quota of diesel to the anchored fishing trawlers.

Incidentally, even though many of the 7,000-odd workers from states like Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Orissa have returned to Goa to begin work on the trawlers, the incessant rains experienced by the state for past two weeks have put a spoke in the immediate plans of the trawler owners to venture into the deep sea for a large fish haul.

Sources at the fisheries department said that the necessary adequate arrangements have been made for facilitating fishing vessels to go into the sea from August 1. They further said that all the four major fishing jetties in Goa - Chapora, Malim, Cutbona and Vasco - have been opened thus allowing around 850 mechanised fishing trawlers across the state to start their operations. There are around 850 mechanised trawlers, 700 motorboats and 900 canoes registered with the department, all involved in fishing activities.

The director of fisheries, Mr Santosh Verenkar told‘The Navhind Times’ on Saturday that the fishing ban was observed in the state in a well-disciplined manner but declined to give any projections for the fish haul this year. "It totally depends on nature," he pointed out.

Meanwhile, the state government has warned the owners of traditional crafts to remove all unauthorised equipment immediately and also not to use the unregistered purseine net for fishing, failing which such canoes along with all the equipment shall be confiscated and action as per law shall be initiated against them.