From daijiworld's special correspondent
 
Panaji, Jun 4: Goa government has decided to allow fishing by small motorized canoe by July 15, which is a fishing ban period in the state.

"The state cabinet today decided to advance ban on fishing for motorized canoe by 15 days," Goa chief minister Pratapsingh Rane told mediapersons.

He said that the state government will abide by the Supreme Court directives and if there is any violations by pre-ponding the ban, it will be withdrawn.

Considering the breeding season, all the coastal states have declared ban on fishing. Goa government will lift the fishing ban on July 31, officials stated.

The Goa government has decided to allow 36-feet-long canoe to venture out for fishing from July 15. "The canoes will fish up to five kilometers and it will not damage the fish breeding," S C Verenkar, director fisheries said.

He said that such canoes are mostly used by traditional fishermen and catch 6.7 thousand tones of fish per year.

Currently with the fishing ban in force, Goa has to depend on the fish brought in from Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. "Goa's overall fish consumption is 20,000 tones per year while it catches 90,000 tones fish per year," Verenkar said.