📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Phyna Lobo
Agriculture
Labor Shortage Idles About 25% of Trawlers at Goa's Cutbona Jetty
✍️ The Times of India
🗓 22 Sep 2026, 06:15 AM
👁 12
A shortage of crew members has forced roughly a quarter of the fishing trawlers docked at Cutbona jetty in Goa to remain idle, affecting local fishermen’s livelihoods.
The Cutbona jetty in Goa, a key hub for the state’s fishing fleet, is witnessing a significant operational slowdown as nearly one in four trawlers remain idle. Fishermen and boat owners attribute the halt to a persistent shortage of skilled crew members, which has made it impossible to staff a sizable portion of the vessels.
Industry sources say the labor gap has grown over recent months, leaving owners unable to meet the crew requirements for their boats. As a result, the idle trawlers sit at the jetty, awaiting workers, while many fishermen face reduced earnings and uncertainty about the upcoming fishing season.
Local authorities have been approached for assistance, but no concrete measures have been announced yet. The situation underscores the broader challenges facing India’s coastal fishing sector, where labor availability directly impacts productivity and the economic well‑being of coastal communities.
Stakeholders hope that a swift resolution—whether through recruitment drives or policy support—will get the idle vessels back to sea and restore normal income streams for the affected fishermen.
Industry sources say the labor gap has grown over recent months, leaving owners unable to meet the crew requirements for their boats. As a result, the idle trawlers sit at the jetty, awaiting workers, while many fishermen face reduced earnings and uncertainty about the upcoming fishing season.
Local authorities have been approached for assistance, but no concrete measures have been announced yet. The situation underscores the broader challenges facing India’s coastal fishing sector, where labor availability directly impacts productivity and the economic well‑being of coastal communities.
Stakeholders hope that a swift resolution—whether through recruitment drives or policy support—will get the idle vessels back to sea and restore normal income streams for the affected fishermen.