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3/15/2007 - What You Bring, Fish? The Failing Fisheries of Goa, A Doomsday Scenario by Richard D. Connerney

ICWA RDC SOUTH ASIA Richard Connerney Phillips Talbot Fellow studying influence impact religion Indian society letters Since Institute Current World Affairs Crane Rogers Foundation providedlong fellowships enableoutstanding young professionalsto outside United States write about international areas issues An exempt operating foundation endowedby Charles R Crane Institute supported bycontributions minded individuals foundations TRUSTEES Bryn Barnard Joseph Battat Carole Beaulieu Mary Lynne Bird Steven Butler Peter Geithner Gary Hartshorn Pramila Jayapal Cheng Li Dasa Obereigner David Z Robinson Carol Rose John Spencer Edmund Sutton HONORARY TRUSTEES David Elliot David Hapgood Pat M Holt Edwin S Munger Richard H Nolte Albert Ravenholt Phillips Talbot What bring Fish The Failing Fisheries Goa A Doomsday Scenario By Richard D Connerney March When F elice Felice Zeon Italian Restaurant village Chapora coast Goa offered something special dinner evening I agreed immediately A native Naples Felice makes Italian Goa possibly India I whatever wanted would excellent When waiter later appeared shark grilled however I I catching serving shark violated fishing depleted adult shark population removed important chain I considered environmental irresponsibility serving illegal catch shark I confront Felice including And I If never tasted shark missed thing A prepared shark culinary rapture bones other spine Adult sharks sometimes acquire ammonia taste years swimming polluted water young shark lacks these impurities Prepared correctly shark heavy white flesh needs little seasoning I ordered second One shark world I asked myself Shark seafood delicacy available Goa The state famous Goan curry local culinary favorite until tourist industry along fishing bread butter coastal Goan villagers Even today villagers often spend Sunday afternoon walking without shoes muddy shallows collect mussels clams When arriving Goan people still greet other asking What bring In Chapora harbor where I spent months December January fleet about fishing boats leaves daily beneath Chapora Fort Portuguese fortress guarding mouth Chapora River One December I boarded Sahil trawler shortly before sunrise The captain Ramesh fishing waters Goa years following family tradition generations He knows waters intimately where reefs follow currents harbor according tides He pointed water surface about kilometer Sardines You water shimmers It thing sharp prohibits sonar devices fishing boats To followed schools dolphins prawns trawled submerged rocks reefs Tuna difficult catch because water active night After hours trawling hauled emptied nagerie flailing wooden Prawns pomfret kingfish squid rockfish squirmed flopped slippery wooden surface Large crabs variety shape colors snapped their claws sometimes Some species second chance The threw poison pufferfish snakes cuttlefish ocean I asked about shark Ramesh usually small close shore Later pulled shark which captain threw The emptied Sahil As trawled waters Ramesh fishing industry Goa changed drastically years The fleet about boats remnant strong fleet sailed Chapora years The other active ports Goa similar reduction fishing boats while Tiracol River extreme north state defunct The future fishing industry bright Ramesh follow footsteps Computers Computers going I grammer spend there Ironically reduction fishermen coincides crease market demand Ramesh these catch grown large tiger prawns might sushi Japan where prices Similarly influx tourists pushes prices A recent report Washington based Interna tional Food Policy Research Insti showed demand while stable developed tries skyrocketed developing nations All world appetite doubled years Year Total catch Growth Goan catch Taken Z A Ansari C T Achuthankutty S G Dalai Overexploitation fishery resources particular reference Goa National Institute Oceanography In south Asia fierce competition sparked undeclared between India Pakistan Every Indian Pakistani navies incarcerate foreign fishermen invade their coastal waters search Pakistan recently freed Indian fishermen accused violating Pakistan territorial The Pakistani government impounded their boats however hopes would reduce number incursions future The Goan fishing industry suffers demand declining yields catch The Goan catch skyrocketed Technological advances mechanized winches increased productivity allowing crews times Since however catches dropped about annually despite these mechanical improve ments indicating fishery under extreme stress On I spent aboard Sahil pulled See science nature 3156340 Kashmir Images Pak releases Indian Fishermen See Z A Ansari C T Achuthankutty S G Dalai Overexploitation fishery resources particular reference Goa National Institute Oceanography RDC large tiger prawns about kilos another seven kilos value kilos priced locals The meager catch provide captain Ramesh three I conducted informal survey catch weeks which showed problem uncommon Ships often without enough With meager catches keeping Sahil water The rising price diesel alone ground repairs aging The Sahil about years starting Deck planks splintered rotting engine looks metal Ramesh captains devil Sahil business Middlemen nearby cities Panjim Mapusa provide money Sahil repairs In return Ramesh catch fixed price below could directly market The result vicious circle catches vessel profits plummet fishers overfish supplies causing serious depletion stock endangering availability With falling returns asset stock value vessels compelling owners continue uneconomic return incurring losses damaging resource The decline Goa fishing fleet emblematic global crisis stocks A report UN Food Agriculture Organization FAO estimated world stocks exploited Recently panel maritime experts predicted world commercially viable stocks could years eliminating roughly percent world foodsource Biologist andenvironmentalistJared Diamond recent Collapse How Civilizations Choose Fail Succeed lists failing stocks potential environmental catastrophes could sudden drastic planet reduction living standards The crisis green cause anenvironmental nicety problem almost eschatological import Mr Vishnajit Parab chairman Chapora Boat Owners Fisheries Co Society Ltd blames feebleness Western Ghat stocks GATT agreement Before agreement owners local fishermen using small boats pulled Once GATT passed however large trawlers Taiwan Japan other Asian nations began waters India Although regulated ocean beyond kilometers shore Mr Parab Z A Ansari C T Achuthankutty S G Dalai Overexploitation fishery resources particular reference Goa National Institute Oceanography See newscientist channel endangered species dn10433 seafood Diamond Jared Collapse How Civilizations Choose Fail Succeed London Penguin INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS Left Panjim Jetty Right A fisherman waves Mr Parab predicts years Chapora close reason Tiracol River closed In Tiracol sandbar closed harbor except The costs dredging local community closed permanently The Chapora harbor faces similar Mr Parab hopes government defray dredging allowing fishing industry Chapora flounder years Government intervention Mr Parab hopes however makes situation worse The reasons behind these failures stocks tragedy commons which makes difficult consumers exploiting shared renewable resource reach agreement despite their shared interest doing widespread effective management regulation called perverse subsidies economically senseless subsidies governments political reasons support fishing fleets large relation their stocks almost inevita overfishing yield profits survive without subsidies After tsunami erything changed Mr Parab ruefully Before about percent local population involved fishing percent The price diesel skyrocketed while profits sales remained stagnant I asked about shark telling I often piers Chapora local restaurants despite being illegal catch He explained sharks often pulled aboard Why benefit shark He We cannot bring Adding Goan fisheries pollution sullied waters remain Diamond Herald Pollution Killing Goa Fishing Industry difficult A report European Journal Parisiteology noted pollutants water pecially mackerel sardines ribbonfish At Panjim Jetty large Panjim fishermen complained small catches distances travel The tsunami GATT pollution Fishfinder radar Every offers different reason Goan fisheries failing In however reason impending failure world stocks rests stars ourselves Mankind principle possesses foresight understand crisis compassion worry about future condition planet intelligence clever plans conservation We however palate likes shark stomach insists bluefin remarkable ability rationalize gastronomic transgressions In India where anyone cumnavigate almost bribe where enforcement environmental legislation begin stomach usually brain ICWA Letters ISSN published Institute Current World Affairs Inc operating foundation incorporated New York State offices located West Wheelock Street Hanover NH 03755 The 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