Bharat Mukti Morcha deplores irresponsible attitude of Fisheries Director

On 20^th November 2014 member of local Panchayat Sanjay Pereira of Cacra confronted the Director of Fisheries Sharmila Monteiro on non-action against speed boats, water sports, mini-purse seining and trawling in Zuari river.

Sanjay questioned the Director as for the reasons of inaction on the part of the department in spite of repeated complaints of fishing rights violations. Sanjay told director “first they took away our land and set up University and hotels, and now they are taking away our river where we carry on our fishing. How are we to survive? What about our children? How are we to educate them? Or they are also to remain uneducated like us and wander about?  Today I have come alone to you but I can also come to your office with hundred people”

Director of Fisheries called Sanjay irrational to raise all these issues and told him to keep patience for this tourism season. It is very surprising that Director of Fisheries is concerned more of tourism than of fishing.

Bharat Mukti Morcha terms this behavior of the Director of Fisheries totally unacceptable and calls upon her to put full stop to the repeated violations of fishing rights of coastal people at Siridao, Bambolim, Nauxim, Cacra and Odxel. For this purpose strong action is needed against the trawlers violating laws and fishing in Zuari river, revoke permissions granted to Hotel Grand Hyatt for water sports activities and ban confiscate mini purse seining boats.