PANJIM: The National Fish-workers Forum has hit out against diesel subsidies being given to large fishing vessels such as bottom trawling vessels, saying that a subsidy meant for the traditional communities is almost entirely being used by the big vessels. Pradip Chatterjee Secretary of the National Fish-workers Forum, said that they were ‘against this subsidy.’ “The subsidy was originally meant to be for small and traditional fishers. The irony of this situation is that the benefits of this subsidy are almost fully being used by trawlers owners. We are not for this kind of subsidy, which was meant for traditional fishermen,” Chatterjee said adding that they were dead against over fishing, which they have accused the mechanized vessels of doing. The Goenchea Ramponkarancho Ekvott which is affiliated to the National Fish-workers Forum has already raised the issue with the trawlers operators fishing within the 5-kilometres from the coast that is reserved for them. Trawlers by law are supposed to fish beyond five kilometres. Earlier scientists too had said that government subsidies to trawlers owners contributed to over-fishing and the latter particularly make huge profits especially in August when the ban is lifted and fish is abundant. Sources say a typical trawler owner could make Rs 22 lakh per trip when the catch is good and that they earn crores of Rupees in turnover, most of which is undeclared.