In a coordinated crackdown on illegal fishing, Goa Police, supported by the Goa Fisheries Department and local fishermen, intercepted two fishing boats from Karnataka’s Malpe region. These boats were seized while engaging in unlicensed fishing within Goan waters. The operation, conducted near the Nerul coast, aimed to curb the threats posed by such vessels, which often disrupt marine life and local livelihoods through unauthorized practices.

This intervention reflects mounting frustrations among traditional Goan fishermen, who have voiced concerns over Karnataka-based boats using harmful techniques like bull trawling and LED light fishing. These methods, they argue, deplete fish stocks and harm the coastal ecosystem, threatening the sustainability of the fishing industry in Goa. Fisheries Minister Nilkanth Halarnkar has since reassured that further actions will be taken to monitor and prevent such incidents.