PANAJI: Fishermen agitating against the use of LED lights for fishing turned violent on Thursday. The irate fishermen got into fight with the policemen, and pelted stones at them.
Two policemen and a couple of protestors were injured in the violence, after which the police resorted to lathicharge, and took around 25 protestors into custody.
The fishermen’s agitation against the use of LED lights for fishing that started on May 11 entered the second day on Thursday.
The protestors gathered at the office of fisheries department near the city jetty, and shouted slogans in support of their demand holding banners throughout the day.
The violence broke out in the evening when Shamila Monteiro, director of fisheries, began leaving the office. The fishermen blocked the path of her car and tried to stop her from going home. Soon, a scuffle broke out between the protestors and the policemen who were accompanying Monteiro. And then, some protestors assaulted the policemen and pelted stones, in which a constable and an inspector sustained injuries. Subsequently, authorities ordered lathicharge.
Superintendent of Police Kartik Kashyap and Deputy Collector Gaurish Shankhwalkar were present at the site. The protestors started running away in panic as the police lathi-charged them, and a couple of them sustained injuries.
Earlier, during the day, the fishermen blocked the Mandovi river channel by parking their trawlers and boats. However, after the lathi-charge, most of the vessels were moved out.
The detained protestors have been taken to different police stations.
The lathi-charge was unnecessary as our protest was peaceful, said Menino Afonso, chairman of Mandovi Fishermen Marketing Co-operative Society.
The government is bigger than us and using its power to stop our agitation, Afonso said.
On Wednesday, the fishermen had said that their agitation against the use of LED lights for fishing is indefinite, viz until the government implements the ban and impounds boats fitted with the LED lights. But, with leaders in lock-up, it is not clear whether the fishermen will gather again on Friday to continue with their protest.
The fishermen are agitating because of the delay on the part of the authorities in acting against the use of LED lights for fishing.
They have been following up the issue with the government for over two months after which the fisheries department issued a notification banning LED lights for fishing on May 10.
The fishermen had said that they “want immediate implementation of the notification.”
The Fisheries Minister, on Wednesday, had assured that Coast Guard teams would impound the boats fitted with LED lights, but the fishermen pointed out that no patrolling teams have ventured into deep sea as yet.
Meanwhile, GPCC president Luizinho Faleiro said, “We strongly condemn the violence used against Goan traditional fishermen by the BJP government. The traditional fishermen of Goa have been since a long time demanding with the government a solution to the problems which are adversely affecting the small canoe owners.
“The government has completely failed to address the difficulties faced by traditional fishermen despite several warnings of agitation from them leading to a law and order situation. The government’s inefficiency in protecting the interest of Goan traditional fishermen has led to this entire chaos, and the violent manner in which our Goans have been treated by the BJP government is deplorable”