Goa's Fishing Industry Confronts Critical Gas Cylinder Shortage
Fishing operations throughout the coastal state of Goa are teetering on the brink of a complete shutdown, driven by an acute and prolonged shortage of commercial gas cylinders. This alarming situation has prompted urgent representations from major fishing associations to the state's civil supplies department, highlighting a crisis that has persisted for nearly three weeks.
Deep-Sea Fishing Operations Severely Impacted
In separate formal letters dated March 24, two prominent fishing organizations—the Mandovi Fishermen Marketing Cooperative Society and the All Goa Purse-Seiners Boat Owners Association—detailed the severe operational challenges they face. Both groups emphasized that the inadequate supply of cylinders for approximately 20 days has critically hampered their ability to conduct deep-sea fishing expeditions, which are essential for sustaining local seafood markets.
The Mandovi Fishermen Marketing Cooperative Society, operating from the Malim Jetty in Betim, represents a fleet of about 275 fishing trawlers. This includes 125 specialized deep-sea vessels, each typically manned by 30 to 35 crew members. These vessels undertake extensive fishing trips lasting between eight and twelve days, during which they rely heavily on four to five gas cylinders per trip to meet onboard cooking requirements for the crew.
The society has explicitly stated that the current supply deficit has left them without sufficient cylinders to properly equip their trawlers. They further clarified that alternative cooking solutions, such as induction stoves or diesel-powered units, are neither practical nor safe for maritime use, citing significant safety concerns that make them unviable for operations at sea.
Warnings of Operational Suspension and Market Scarcity
Issuing a stark warning about the potential consequences, the Mandovi Fishermen Marketing Cooperative Society indicated that if the cylinder shortage continues unabated, fishing operations may have to be suspended entirely. Such a suspension would inevitably lead to a severe shortage of fish in local markets across Goa, disrupting the seafood supply chain and affecting consumers statewide.
Echoing these concerns, the All Goa Purse-Seiners Boat Owners Association, which represents approximately 450 purse-seiner trawlers operating from three major jetties—Malim, Vasco, and Cutbona—submitted a similar appeal to the civil supplies department. The association reported a complete halt in the supply of commercial cylinders over the same 20-day period.
While fishing operators have managed to cope with temporary measures thus far, the association stressed that continuing operations without a consistent and reliable supply of gas cylinders will not be sustainable in the long term. The reliance on cylinders is fundamental to their daily activities, and any prolonged disruption threatens the viability of their entire fishing enterprise.
Urgent Calls for Government Intervention
In response to this escalating crisis, both fishing bodies have urgently appealed to the director of civil supplies in Panaji to intervene immediately. Their primary demand is the swift restoration of commercial gas cylinder supplies to ensure that fishing activities can continue without further interruption.
They have emphasized that any ongoing disruption to their operations would result in a significant scarcity of fish across the state, impacting not only the fishing industry but also the broader economy and food security of Goa. The associations are calling for prompt action to avert a full-scale operational shutdown and mitigate the impending threat to local seafood availability.
