PANAJI

All fishermen in Goa would be issued a Radio Frequency (RF) identity card before the start of fishing season in August this year, Fisheries Minister Vinod Palyekar said today.

“The process for collecting data of fishermen would commence from June 1,” informed Palyekar.

The fishing activity in Goa would remain suspended in the coastal state during monsoon season between June 1 and July 31. Due to the delay in issuing RF cards last year, the state government had faced criticism. 

“We have initiated the process of issuing RF IDs to the crew members on the trawlers well in advance this year. When the fishing ban comes into force on June 1, we will start the process of collecting data about the crew on the trawler and ID cards will be issued to them,” Palyekar said.

“The new cards are issued as crew members usually change every year,” he said, adding that around 5,000-6,000 crew members are working on approximate 1,500 trawlers which operate from five different jetties across Goa.

The RF cards were made compulsory in the wake of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks in which terrorists had entered the city of Mumbai through the sea route