Goa Fisheries bureaucracy suffers collapse

In-river evidence from Zuari confirms that there is total collapse of Fisheries bureaucracy in the State of Goa. It's Fisheries Minister Avertano Furtado and Director of Fisheries Dr. Shamila Monteiro are the two efficient wreck-in-chiefs. Director seem to have completed her doctorate yet hardly understands ABC of fisheries and continues to encourage illegal fishing by trawlers. On the Citizen's Charter of the Fisheries Department Shamila Monteiro is recorded as Superintendent of Fisheries. Dr.Monteiro is adept at using politcal pressure ans silencing voices of dissent and she did try this with Bharat Mukti Morcha in various ways and unfailingly Bharat Mukti Morcha has retaliated with mighty retaliations.  Now she has roped in Fisheries Minister for her support. Goa's Minister Avertano Furtado himself has taken responsibility to promote illegal fishing in Zuari in telephonic conversation with Rohidas Andrade on September 03, 2015. These are truly disgraceful days for Goa. 

Bharat Mukti Mukti Morcha will continue to publish dairy of illegalities inside Zuari River River though Fisheries Department is currently ruled by powers that has taste for not only illegal fishing through trawling but also taste for arrogance.

This time we consider it very important to note that Trawling way of fishing is completely unsustainable that digs out the ground as if to dig out buried landmines of Second World War thereby disrupting fertile fish breeding grounds. This has been the ground of protests by large number of traditional fishermen 'Ramponkars' ever since trawlers were introduced by Shashikala Kakodkar in the decade of 1970.

We have taken note of one of the trawler organizations leader from Vasco on Television stating that trawlers are carrying on the fishing in Zuari River because there is no fish available in Arabian Sea. That means trawler and other variety of fishing has already depleted Arabian Sea and now all out to deplete the same in Zuari River even though it is illegal to do so. Their audacity coupled with irresponsible Fisheries bureaucracy in Goa has been creating uncalled for havoc for traditional Fishermen in Zuari hailing from various villages such as Dona Paula, Odxel, Cacra, Nauxim, Bambolim, Siridao, Agassaim, Cortalim, Sancoale, Madkai etc. Investigation is needed as to what factors led to depletion of fish in Zuari river and drastic remedial measures needs to be taken to reverse the process towards regeneration of fish breeding grounds in Arabian Sea.

Bharat Mukti Morcha resolutely stands in defense of traditional fishing in the State of Goa. We hereby share latest dairy of the fishing rights violations in Zuari River maintained by Bharat Mukti Morcha units on Zuari Coast.

2.    4^th September 2015 13 trawlers carried illegal fishing in Zuari River at from 3.00 pm till 4.30 pm

3.    5^th September 2015 at 8.00 am till 11.00 am 12 trawlers carried on illegal fishing in Zuari River. In the evening 8 trawlers carried on illegal fishing in Zuari River from 3.00 pm to 7.00 pm. Police at Harbour police station were contacted but refused to act. Police informed that their patrolling boat is not in working condition.

4.    7^th September 2015 at 11.00 am 2 trawlers carried on illegal fishing in Zuari River. At this time Superintendent of Fisheries Chandrakant Velip was in the village along with the Patrolling Boat of the Fisheries Department. Around 95 traditional fishermen gathered together for a meeting on Zuari coast at Cacra village along with their canoes. Meeting was called by Fisheries Minister Avertano Furtado and was to be attended also by Director of Fisheries Dr.Shamila Monteiro. But none of them – Minister as well as the Director came for the meeting for the reasons best known to the Minister Avertano Furtado and the Director of Fisheries Dr. Shamila Monteiro. This meeting was decided in the Secretariat in the Chamber of the Fisheries Minister Avertano Furtado on August 31, 2015 after discussions with Sanjay Pereira.  Superintendent of Fisheries Chandrakant Velip was told by the traditional fishermen that they are opposed to the trawlers carrying on illegal fishing in Zuari River and instructed fisheries department to implement law strictly. He also agreed to prepare a report of his visit and submit it the Ministry with copy to the Fishermen.

5.    11^th September 2015 at 7.00 am 8 trawlers illegally carried on illegal fishing in Zuari River. The at 5.00 pm 12 trawlers carried on illegal fishing.

6.    On 12^th September at 7.30 am 17 trawlers carried on illegal fishing in Zauri River. Then at 5.00 pm again 17 trawlers were noticed carrying on illegal fishing in Zuari River.

7.    13^th September 2015 illegal fishing in Zuari river was carried on by 22 trawlers at 5.55 pm.

8.    14^th September 2015 at 6.50 am 25 trawlers carried on illegal fishing in Zuari river.

9.    On the same day of 14 September 2015 at 4.10 pm another 25 trawlers carried on illegal fishing in Zuari River. Illegal fishing has extended right up to Agacaim – Cortalim Bridge in Zuari River.

10. On 20^th September 2015 at 8.15 am 5 trawlers carried on illegal fishing in Zuari river within one kilometer distance of Nauxi-Cacra-Odxel coastal shoreline. Police at Harbor Police station were contacted by Rohidas Andrade over the phone at time when the illegalities were going on. Police refused to act on the pretext that their boats are broken down and the fisheries department must get their boats to combat illegal fishing by Trawlers in Zuari River.