Goa’s fish haul shrunk 27 percent in five years
March 16th, 2011 - 6:59 pm ICT by IANSPanaji, March 16 (IANS) Fish may no longer figure as staple food in Goa as the state’s annual fish haul has shrunk by a drastic 27 per cent over the last five years, according to the economic survey report.
The report, tabled in the Goa assembly Wednesday, noted that the fish haul has reduced from 1.03 lakh tonnes in 2005 to 80,680 tonnes in 2009.
There is an urgent need to rein in fishing and minimise post harvest losses to cover up the deficit, the report said.
“With the total fish production in the state crossing maximum sustainable yield, there is a need to restrict the fishing efforts in the coastal waters of the state,” the report stated.
It added that all efforts are being made to provide the infrastructure needed at the landing centres to minimise the post harvest losses.
A leading marine biologist has already warned of a fish famine and flight of fish in the seas off Goa.
Baban Ingole, chief scientist at the Goa-based National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), has warned that a combination of the state’s burgeoning fishing trawler industry, pollution and climate change was resulting in the fish being driven off the Goa coast, resulting in a “fish famine” in the region.
He added that popular fish like mackerel, sardines and prawns would be the first to exit the marine habitat.
Goa has a 104-km-long coastline along which nearly 1,400 trawlers hunt for fish, mainly prawns, sardines, mackerels, king fish, tuna, among others.
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Tags: baban, chief scientist, climate change, coastal waters, economic survey, fish production, fishing trawler, goa assembly, goa coast, harvest losses, king fish, lakh tonnes, marine biologist, marine habitat, national institute of oceanography, prawns, sardines, staple food, sustainable yield, trawler industry