Date: 16th October 2015
To,
Mr.
A. Monsorrate,
The
Member of Legislative Assembly,
Santa Cruz Constituency, Goa
To,
Mrs.
Jenifer Monsorrate,
The
Member of Legislative Assembly,
Taleigao Constituency,
Goa
To,
Vishnu
Surya Wagh,
The
Member of Legislative Assembly,
St.
Andre Constituency,
Goa
To,
The
Sarpanch,
Taleigao
village Panchayat,
Taleigao,
Goa
To,
The
Sarpanch,
Santa
Cruz Village Panchayat,
Santa
Cruz, Goa
To,
The
Sarpanch,
Curca-Bambolim-Nauxim
Panchayat,
Bambolim,
Goa
To,
The
Sarpanch,
Siridao
village Panchayat,
Siridao,
Goa
To,
The
Sarpanch,
Agacaim
village Panchayat,
Agacaim,
Goa
Subject: Fishermen’s burden of illegal
ground trawler fishing and Water sports in Zuari River
Dear
Madam/Sir,
We
wish to urgently bring to your attention the deepening crisis in fisheries
department, Government of Goa on two counts. The First one is about the illegal trawler fishing very close to the
Coast from Siridao to Odxel sometimes even extends up to Agacaim coast. As you
are already aware that fishing by trawlers within 5 kilometers from the shore
is banned by law yet there is widespread trawler fishing is going on with no
respect to law. We have observed that this violation is taking place with
active connivance of the Department of Fisheries, Government of Goa. That’s the
reason till day no permanent patrol vessel has been installed in Zuari River in
spite of suggestion from Bharat Mukti Morcha conveyed to Chief Secretary and to
all the three levels of the Fisheries department namely Minister of Fisheries,
Secretary to Fisheries as well as Director of Fisheries.
Director
of Fisheries instead of enforcing the law indulged in subjecting fishermen from
Zuari coast under political pressure to carry on illegal trawling in Zuari
River unhindered. Police from harbor police station when called so many times
either refuse to answer our calls or inform us that their patrol boat is
suffering engine break down or no funds to buy fuel or busy in bandobast somewhere else. Sometimes
Police informs us that they have booked some trawlers for illegal fishing and
sent the papers to Fisheries department for further proceeding to prosecution.
But trawlers are free to repeat the offence of illegal fishing to infinity.
On
number of occasions Director of Fisheries Shamila Monteiro behaved arrogantly
with the fishermen when complained about the illegal trawlers and even told not
to call her to lodge complaints. Timetable for patrolling that is followed is
flawed to the core as it involves patrolling in Zuari River only for two hours
out of twenty four hours in a day. This too exists only on paper. On number of
occasions Minister of Fisheries Avertano Furtado has behaved arrogantly with
the fishermen when called to complain. He asked the complaining fishermen to go
and arrest the trawlers privately in their boats thereby causing likely law and
order problem. We have refused to heed to this suggestion from the Minister.
Fisheries
department though has a patrol boat but in spite of telephone calls rarely comes
to Zuari river to stop illegal trawler fishing. And even when boat arrives it
never compounds any trawlers as there is internal nexus with trawlers with
Fisheries department, and offending trawlers suddenly flee at once from the
river. All this has disastrous consequences to marine ecology of Zauri River
besides on the livelihood of the fishermen of the Coastal villages of Zuari River.
Zuari river is rich is fish variety and even scientific paper has been recently
published by Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) based in Old Goa
after year long field study. This river is a place for spawning of fish; and ground
trawling disrupts this completely. Years of experience of the local fishermen
has confirmed this reality. We have to unite to protect Zuari River as well as
traditional fishermen who depend on fishing. River cannot be allowed to be ransacked
the way currently is being done through trawler ground fishing with active
collaboration of Fisheries department. After ‘N’ number of letters in warded to
the Chief Secretary and he knowing the reality faced by traditional fishermen
refused appointment to Bharat Mukti Morcha.
The second issue that we wish to draw your
attention to is the water sports activities operating through the premises of
Hotel Grand Hyatt in Bambolim. This is done by entity called Aqua Sail. Through
out last year Fishermen are objecting, and permissions even cancelled. But due
to political pressure it was granted again by Fisheries department. This month
we understand that fisheries department has granted permissions for water
sports again as Aqua sail boats are seen again indulging in water sports
thereby disrupting fishing activities. There is very serious disruption of fishing
practices due to water sports activities in Zuari River. Fishermen are not able
to carry on their normal fishing activities. There are also clashes reported
and one fishermen Vishnu Kankonkar was even slapped by previous Agacaim PI
Devendra Gad on Bambolim beach on 19th April 2014 for objecting to
water sports activities in Zuari River. This high handedness we protest and
must stop. Hotel Grand Hyatt is confirmed illegal and it has no right to harbor
invasive entities like Aqua Sail in its premises.
Bharat Mukti Morcha therefore calls
upon you to initiate steps to stop illegal trawling in Zuari river totally and
also to stop water sports activities in Zuari river totally.
We
hereby share the daily record of fishing rights violations from 30th
September 2015 till 15th October 2015 for your ready reference:
Date with Time
|
Nature of Fishing Rights Violations
in Zuari
|
30/09/2015 at 3.35 pm
|
35 trawlers
carried on illegal fishing
|
30/09/2015
at 7.15 pm
|
23 trawlers
carried on illegal fishing
|
01/10/2015
at 7.30 am
|
45 trawlers
carried on illegal fishing
|
01/10/2015
at 6.00 pm
|
23 trawlers
close to Cacra coast
|
02/10/2015
at 6.6 am
|
21 trawlers
carried on illegal fishing
|
02/10/2015
at 4.00 pm
|
15 trawlers
carried on illegal fishing
|
03/10/2015
at 3.00 pm
|
22 trawlers
carried on illegal fishing. When police came trawlers fled.
|
04/10/2015
at 12.00 noon
|
8 trawlers
carried on illegal fishing
|
04/10/2015
at 3.00 pm
|
8 water
sports boats noticed off Nauxim coast
|
08/10/2015
at 3.00 pm
|
5 trawler
carried on illegal fishing
|
08/10.2015
at 4.00 pm
|
Several
boats from Aqua sail disrupted fishing
|
10/10/2015
at 8.00 am
|
8 trawlers
carried on illegal fishing near Siridao-Cacra coastline
|
10/10/2015
at 3.30 pm
|
Few boats
from Aqua Sail disturbed fishing
|
14/10/2015
at 4.00 pm
|
2 trawlers
carried on illegal fishing within 50 meters of Cacra Coast
|
15/10/2015
at 8.30 am
|
3 trawlers
carried on illegal fishing in Zuari
|
15/10/2015
at 3.00 pm
|
13 trawlers
carried on illegal fishing till 6.30 pm. Police arrived after trawlers left
the scene. There looks to be certain match-fixing between trawlers and the
Police, trawlers and the Fisheries department.
|
Your
prompt and decisive immediate action before situation of traditional fishermen
and marine ecology of Zuari River further aggravates will be highly appreciated.
We look forward for your kind support and action as the traditional fishermen
are put into severe problems by Director of Fisheries Shamila Monteiro and
Minister of Fisheries Avertano Furtado. Looking at the data above this is a
ground reality.
Thanking
you,
Yours
Sincerely,
Sd/-
Maggie Silveira
President,
Goa State Unit
Sd/-
Sanjay Pereira
Convener,
Cacra unit
Sd/-
Rohidas Andrade
Convener,
Bambolim unit
Sd/-
Soccoro Braganza
Convener,
Siridao Unit
Sd/-
Anthony Cardozo
Convener,
Curca Unit
Sd/-
Sitaram Pereira
Convener,
Odxel Unit
Sd/-
Milind Palkar
Convener,
Nauxi unit
Sd/-
Chandrakant Lotlikar
Secretary, Bharat Mukti Morcha,
Siridao Unit
Sd/-
Hanuman Dias
Co-convenor
Odxel Unit
Sd/-
Honu Dinkar,
Co-convener,
Odxel Unit
Sd/-
Deu Kankonkar
Secretary,
Nauxi Unit
Sd/-
Bikaro Dias
Co-convener,
Odxel Unit
Sd/-
Yeshwant Shirodkar,
Co-convener,
Odxel Unit
Sd/-
Manguesh Sawant,
Co-convener,
Odxel unit
Sd/-
Amir Mardolkar,
Co-convener,
Nauxim Unit
Sd/-
Francis Coelho,
Co-convener,
Nauxim Unit
Sd/-
Dulba Pereira,
Co-convener,
Cacra Unit
Sd/-
Santosh Gauns,
Co-convener,
Cacra Unit
Sd/-
Sheila D’mello,
Co-convener
Cacra Unit
Sd/-
Santosh Kukalkar,
Co-convener
Cacra unit
Copy
to (1) Minister
of Fisheries, Secretariat, Porvorim, Goa
(2) Secretary (Fisheries),
Secretariat, Porvorim, Goa
(3) Director of Fisheries, Panjim, Goa
(4) Chief Secretary, Secretariate,
Porvorim, Goa
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