Union Minister Parshottam Rupala on Friday said the Centre will take technical advice before deciding on the demand for the use of LED lights for fishing in the sea.
The union minister of fisheries, animal husbandry and dairying is in Goa for the fifth phase of Sagar Parikrama, during which he met the fishing community and stakeholders in the business.
Rupala held a meeting of fishermen at Vasco in South Goa.
“There is a demand to permit LED fishing in the sea. People supporting this demand have claimed that it is a scientifically proven solution for fishing in the seas,” the minister told reporters in Margao town.
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Fishing using LED lights has been banned in Goa.
The Union government will consider the demand for use of LED lights for fishing after taking technical advice, Rupala said, adding that the demand will be “evaluated scientifically by considering international practices”.
While interacting with the fishing community, the minister said there is a need to link women groups and small fishermen with exporters.
“During my visit to fishing villages, I have realised that while men are out in the sea fishing, the trade is handled by women,” he said.
Connecting women through self-help groups to exporters will help them get proper price for their commodities, he said.
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Rupala further said that the fishing business should not be segregated as traditional and mechanised.
“In fact, both these sectors are handled by our fishermen. So we should look at traditional and mechanised fishing as complimenting each other,” he said.
All the experiences that he had during the Sagar Parikrama will reflect in the Central government's policies for the fisheries sector, the minister said.
-With PTI Input
