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Systems of Fishing
This study revolves around the effects of Khazan land on fishing culture. Earlier the sluice gate was seen as a system to prohibit saline water entering in the farmlands but now to increase fish trade, the authorities have let saline water enter farmlands making it infertile. This resulted in decline of agriculture and increase in fishing. One reason to serve this was the huge difference in labour costs of both of them. The materiality of sluice gate has come evolving from clay to laterite stone to concrete.
Some rare types of fishes like Tiger Prawns, Chonak and Bhoira.
Long ago, the gavkaris of Diwadi (Divar Island) were the landlords who had rights over these lands to hold auctions to elect tenants every consecutive year. They passed a law which stated Rs.6/- per sq.m for agricultural land and Rs.3/- per sq.m for fishing. Also back then in 1961, they passed the Tenants Association Act. The communidades collected tax from the gavkaris and gavkaris collected tax from the tenants. After the end of Portugese rule, the Indian government took over.
The sluice gate manages the high tide and low tide of the Mandovi river. In the high tides, water flows from Mandovi river to Khazan lands carrying fishes in its direction of flow. During the low tides, reverse happens and fishes flow from Khazan land towards the Mandovi River. This cycle of water tides rules over the fishing practices. The inlet of saline water in the Khazan lands affects the quality of agrarian land making it infertile. To prevent this people started erecting bund walls.
The cultivable land for agriculture does not function for 12 months whereas the fishing happens throughout the year. The monsoon season is seen as peak period for fishing, as then the boats are prohibited from sailing in the sea due to high water levels. This results in decline of fishing in the outer periphery of Divar; resulting in high catch by the fishermen of Divar. In this timeperiod, fishes are also fetched in paddy fields. Due to excessive rainwater, it turns the paddy fields in swampy lands.
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