If you thought utilising agricultural land - khazans - for fish farming is bad. Hold your breath... It may not be long before it is officially allowed. In order to facilitate the use of khazan land for pisciculture purpose, the Fisheries Department has recommended amendment to the Land Revenue Act. The State has about 18000 hectares of Khazan land but vast portion has been left unutilized, or fallow. The Department of Fisheries believes it can be utilised for pisciculture. The Coastal Aquaculture Act disallows any kind of pisciculture in the agriculture land. But the Director of Fisheries S C Verenkar said that khazan lands, which are other wise left unused could be ideally used for pisciculture by amending the Act. "In Goa any kind of land whether fallow or infertile has been classified as agriculture land. There is need for re-classification,' says Verenkar. "People have tried to make their paddy fields uncultivable so that they can be used for pisciculture purpose. Bunds are regularly busted and saline water deliberately released into paddy fields. At least, these illegalities will end if the Act is amended', Verenkar opined. On the other hand, paddy cultivation in khazan land has been on the decline, due to low yield and high cost of production. "Korgut or Azro gives one ton of yield per hectare as against hybrid variety that gives three to four tons per hectare' said Shiwanand Wagle, Agriculture officer. The provisions of the Act also mandate that tenant should not allowed to use the khazan land for any other purpose than farming. Hence, an amendment is also proposed in the Act to allow tenants to use khazan land for pisciculture, the director said. Most of the khazan land is with the tenants, sources said.