Rain or sun, in Goa, all await the catch of the day

When the sun peeps out from behind the clouds, local fishermen in Goa venture into the sea to cast their nets, and the lucky few tourists – out for a stroll on the beach – return to their rent-back apartments with the catch of the day. Not all, just a few.

“We actually came out for a stroll to soak in the sun, but were surprised to see so many men out with their nets. Watching them pull their nets with little fish and a lot of garbage is surprising,” says Rohan, as he strolls across the Zalor beach in Carmona.

Carmona, a village near Cavelossim – one of the southern-most points of Salcete in South Goa – is dotted with service apartments, most of them now wrapped in plastic to keep away the beating raindrops.

“A lot of retired people from across India are living in apartments in the village, and they normally tend to come out to the beach for walks in the evenings or early mornings,” admits Francis as he and his colleagues sift the fish from the trash in the net.

"They buy fish on the beach during the season. The offseason catch is normally not sold,” he says.

In the offseason, the catch is shared.

“Since it was raining for many days, we thought of trying our luck at sea. Kantaii (traditional style of fishing with large nets without boats) are thrown when there is a lull in the rain and normally we end up with some catch that is shared between neighbours,” says Francis, as he moaned on seeing the muck pulled in along with the scanty catch of fish.

“Most of the rent-back apartments near the beach are shut during the rains. We normally have foreigners staying for a few months. The few Indians seen are either living in the village or staying in luxury resorts in the area,” admits Vishwas as he indulges in a game of cards with his friends.

The sea at Zalor beach in Carmona is not rough, and the few tourists who have opted to stay back, follow the fishermen as they keep trying their luck with each trip back to the water.

“We are not taking the risk of going into the water after we were made aware of how two tourists were pulled in by the waters in North Goa. The water may be tempting, but it is not worth the risk,” says Doreen as she strides with her heels on the shore.

Along the main road, there are restaurants serving Goan and Indian meals; an ice cream shop and art gallery showcasing the works of renowned Goan artist Mario Miranda.

“Mario is famous, and we have a lot of clients who stop by to pick up souvenirs linked to him. There are people looking for his artwork, books and even bags all through the year,” reckons Sandra.

Not too far way is an eatery called Papa Joe's. The Papa in Joe tries to recreate the magic of Goan cuisine to the domestic tourists, and clients who are now his regulars along with locals.

“They (clients) like the caju feni based cocktails especially at night. The crowd has started picking up now that the rains have subsided,” confesses Felix, as he tries to convince his client that the fish served is fresh from nearby Karwar.

Fish, according to Felix, though not available in Goa in the monsoons, is sourced from fishermen from Karwar in Karnataka. “Fish is the favourite of most tourists whether it rains or not,” explains Felix.

For the tourists in Carmona, the Indians settled there and the locals, it is the rain spells that have left all bewildered.