Ban LEDs, bull trawling to save marine ecology: Goa urges Centre

In bull trawling, two marginally big-sized boats tie the net and drag it for a long distance to bag the entire shoal of fish.

Panaji, May 19: Goa government has urged the Centre to enforce a ban on use of LED lights and bull trawling techniques for fishing in coastal states, saying they are harmful to the marine ecology.

The state government had last month said that it will ban both the fishing methods to protect the marine ecology. Some trawler owners use LED lights for fishing in deep waters, which the fishermen in Goa have been opposing since some time.

In bull trawling, two marginally big-sized boats tie the net and drag it for a long distance to bag the entire shoal of fish.

During a meeting with Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh in New Delhi on Thursday, Goa Fisheries Minister Vinod Palyekar urged that all the states involved in fishing activities should strictly stop the use of LEDs and bull trawling method.

"I had a fruitful meeting with the Union minister. We had a discussion on discouraging the use of LED lights and bull trawling for fishing," Palyekar told PTI.

The minister said he also plans to write to the prime minister to bring in a legislation to stop such fishing practices. During the meeting with the Union minister, Palyekar also sought the Centre's assistance to develop infrastructure for the fisheries sector in Goa.

PTI