Aqua culture, prawn and crab farming can alone generate 5000 jobs in Goa: Flynn Remedios

MARGAO: Though local labour in Goa is very expensive- and acts as a damper for aquaculture biz, compared to cheap migrant labour from states like Bihar, UP and Jharkhand, a group entrepreneurial program recently launched by the social forum Goemcho Goenkar claims it can generate nearly 5000 jobs in the coastal state.

According to Flynn Remedios, co-founder of the Goemcho Goenkar project, “our aquaculture and crab farming initiative in Goa suffered a major setback in January this year when three of our Goan brothers who were part of the team went down with Covid and two of them passed away in February-March. Then the second Covid wave struck, completely paralyzing our efforts. Our team lost 3 dedicated members to Covid during January-May devastating us completely.”

“We have now relaunched all our programs post-Diwali and are back in action with three aquaculture projects going live next month,” Remedios explained.

“We have taken up crab and shrimp farming on a mass scale, in a scientific and professional manner as the business is lucrative and profitable and can generate jobs. Crab farming along with other aquaculture businesses like sweet-water fish, mussel and shrimp farming are some of the activities we have launched in Goa.”

By February-March, we plan to have nearly 50 aquaculture sites in Goa, he said.

Three pilot projects which will go live in December in South Goa, have the potential to provide employment to a hundred youth, Remedios said, adding that Goa has immense potential for aquaculture, given the right push by the government, as getting permissions from local bodies like the village panchayats is a herculean task.

With huge brackish water bodies, Goa has the potential to generate double the present national output of mud crabs and shrimps, generating employment for thousands of youth, claims aquaculturist Sheetal Naik, also with Goemcho Goenkar.

‘Kurlio’ or crab is a highly priced, much sought-after seafood item at restaurants along the coastal belt and is a big hit evrn with foreign tourists. Provided land and brackish water is available, crab and shrimp farming can be started with as little as Rs 30,000 and after about 6 to 8 months can yield a profit of Rs 1.50 to 2 lakh, depending on the selling price, Remedios explained.