Most fishermen in Goa favor a longer monsoon fishing ban by the side of the west coast of India than the current ban period of 47 days from June 15 to July 31. While the fishermen also consent that each of the Indian coasts should have its own consistent ban period, there are differences over the date of commencement of the ban and its duration.

Various stakeholders from the Goan fishing industry met Vijay Kumar, director general of the fisheries survey of India, Mumbai, on Wednesday, along with state fisheries officials, together with director of fisheries S Verenkar. Kumar arrived in Goa to meet Goan fishermen and to revise the impact of the fishing ban on their business. Besides discussions, the fishermen were told to fill a form detailing whether the ban has benefited or hurt their wellbeing, their views on the period of the ban and related details.

Kumar represents a government of India committee, set up to revise the impact of the fishing ban on different Indian states. Kumar is in Goa to draw out views of the fishermen in order to make fresh recommendations to the union government concerning the requirement and nature of changes that might be required for the fishing ban to benefit all stakeholders. Most fishermen's groups supported a longer ban.

Menino Afonso, chairman of the Mandovi Fishermen Marketing Cooperative Society, Malim, said the additional 15 days will give the fish more time to breed and thereby increase fish stock. Goan fishermen were unanimous on the need to impose a uniform ban along the west coast to avoid conflicts between the fishing communities of states. They complained that although the ban on the west coast ends on July 31, boats from neighbouring Karnataka begin fishing in Goan waters on July 25 itself, cleaning up all the fish and leaving nothing for them.