Dismiss Goa Director of Fisheries

Massive acts of illegal fishing in Zuari River by trawlers as below:

1.    9^th August 2015 from 7.00 am to 10.30 am 2 trawlers in Zuari River violating law carried on illegal fishing.

2.    15^th August 2015 at 2.30 pm 30 trawlers in Zuari River carried on fishing illegally. Open violations on 68^th Independence Day of India.

3.    16^th August 2015 carried on fishing early morning when it was dark. 18 trawlers were noticed carrying on illegal fishing at 7.00 am. Coastal police alerted at 7.00 am, trawlers went away. Then 2 trawlers came again at 9.30 am and carried on illegal fishing till 4.00 pm. Director of Fisheries Dr. Shamila Monteiro was contacted over the phone and informed of these flagrant violations of fishing rights. Fisheries Minister Avertano Furtado was contacted over the phone and informed of continuing violations of fishing rights in Zuari.

4.    17^th August 2015 at 6.30 am 9 trawlers were found to carry on illegal fishing in Zuari River.

5.    19^th August 2015 from 11.00 am beyond 3.30 pm two trawlers carried on illegal fishing near Siridao coast in Zuari river.

Looking at the way the fishing rights violations are being carried on by trawlers in Zuari River it reflects very poor capacity of the Goa Government to respect the implementation of law in force namely The Goa, Daman and Diu Marine Fishing Regulation Act, 1980 and Rules, 1982 that was formed after very strong movement of the traditional fishermen all over Goa. It appears that Goa government is behaving cowardly in implementing the law mainly because it does not care for traditional fishermen of Goa for the reasons best known to the State of Goa and its Directorate of Fisheries. Considering the aggressive violations of fishing laws by trawlers we have no doubt that this violations is taking place with active connivance of Director of Fisheries and we have already filed our letter in this regard on 13^th July 2015 before Secretary (Fisheries) and other authorities giving evidence of nexus between the Director of Fisheries and the Trawlers indulging in violation of fishing rights in Zuari river.

In the above background Bharat Mukti Morcha calls for the immediate dismissal of the Director of Fisheries as it is due to her open defense and logistics support all the illegal fishing by trawlers is being carried on in Zuari River including illegal night fishing.