High Level Irresponsibility by Directorate of Fisheries

                                                                                   18^th February 2016

To,

Vishnu Surya Wagh, Dy. Speaker &

The Member of Legislative Assembly,

St. Andre Constituency,

Goa

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,

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: High Level Irresponsibility by Directorate of Fisheries

Madam/Sir,

We thank you for your past co-operation towards the cause of traditional fishermen in Zuari River. Once again we are compelled to approach to you serious nature of Fishing Rights violations in Zuari River. In our last letter to you dated December 28^th 2015 we had presented to fishing rights violations that took place from 17/12/2015 upto 27/12/2015. We hoped that in the New Year 2016 we would not be compelled to lodge more complaints in this regard. However our daily documentation has revealed the complete breakdown of Fisheries department machinery in tackling the ongoing fishing rights violations in Zuari River chiefly by illegal trawling and illegal mini per seining. As you are aware both these are not only illegal but also ecologically damaging to the sustainability of fisheries. Our complaints to the Fisheries department of the past have not met with satisfactory results. Hence we call upon your attention to look into this as present to dairy of 37 fishing rights violations from 28/12/2015 to 17/02/2016.

No	Date and Time	Nature of Fishing Rights Violation in Zuari River
01	28/12/2015 at 5.45 pm	2 mini-per seining carried on illegal fishing near Nauxim Coast
02	29/12/2015 at 5.30 pm	3 mini-per seining carried on illegal fishing. 2 near Bambolim and 1 near Siridao
03	30/12/2015 at 4.45 pm	2 mini-per seining carried on illegal fishing at Nauxim Coast
04	31/12/2015 at 6.00 pm	2 mini-per seining at Nauxim Coast carried on illegal fishing
05	03/01/2016 at 9.45 pm	2 mini-per seining carried on illegal fishing near Bambolim
06	03/01/2016 at 12.45 pm	15 mini-per seining carried on illegal fishing on Siridao – Odxel coast
07	04/01/2016 at 7.30 am	15 mini-per seining illegally lifted more than 25 tons of solar and white prawns from Siridao-Odxel coast
08	05/01/2016 at 6.00 am	10 mini-per seining boats carried on illegal fishing at Siridao-Odxel coast
09	05/01/2016 at 8.40 am	2 trawlers close to Cacra carried on illegal fishing
10	05/01/2016 at 9.00 am	22 mini-per seining boats carried on illgal fishing at Siridao-Odxel coast. Marine Police contacted, came on the site and went back without taking any action. Match fixing suspected.
11	09/01/2016 at 5.00 am	Two mini-per seining carried on illegal fishing near Siridao - Bambolim coast.
12	11/01/2016 at 3.30 pm	15 trawlers carried on illegal fishing within 200 meters of Siridao – Odxel Zuari coastline.
13	12/01/2016 at 3.50 pm	6 trawlers near Odxel Coast carried on illegal fishing
14	16/01/2016 at 3.10 pm	5 trawlers near Siridao – Odxel coast carried on illegal fishing
15	18/01/2016 at 5.00 pm	8 trawlers carried on illegal fishing at Siridao – Cacra coast. SMS campaign was launched to expose these violations. Fisheries department was annoyed. Superintendent of Fisheries called Rohidas Andrade, Bambolim convener of Bharat Mukti Morcha questioning the need for sms campaign. Rohidas was then told to wait till Superintendent report to the site. Even after awaiting for 90 minutes no official from Fisheries department turned up. We wonder as to why department is wasting our time and energy.
16	19/01/2016 at 3.15 am	6 trawlers carried on illegal fishing near Siridao early morning.
17	19/01/2016 at 10.00 am	12 trawlers carried on illegal fishing
18	19/01/2016 at 1.00 pm	8 trawlers carried on illegal fishing
19	20/01/2016 at 1.15 pm	4 trawlers carried on illegal fishing
20	20/01/2016 at 1.40 pm	6 trawlers carried on illegal fishing
21	20/01/2016 at 7.50 pm	4 trawlers carried on illegal fishing
22	21/01/2016 at 2.30 pm	13 trawlers carried on illegal fishing
23	22/01/2016 at 5.50 pm	2 trawlers carried on illegal fishing
24	23/01/2016 at 5.10 pm	5 trawlers carried on illegal fishing near Odxel coast
25	24/01/2016 at 5.10 pm	5 trawlers carried on illegal fishing near Odxel coast
26	26/01/2016 at 5.50 pm	2 trawlers carried on illegal fishing.
27	28/01/2016 at 8.50 am	2 trawlers carried on illegal fishing
28	28/01/2016 at 4.40 pm	22 trawlers carried on illegal fishing at Siridao-Odxel Coast. Fisheries department responding to calls from fishermen replied that their patrol boat has suffered breakdown. Later in the evening one official from Fisheries department informed that patrol boat is okay and purposely it was not sent at the site of violations. This is pathetic way of functioning of the fisheries department.
29	29/01/2016 at 3.20 pm	15 trawlers carried on illegal fishing atr Nauxim-Odxel coast.
30	30/01/2016 at 3.50 pm	2 trawlers carried on illegal fishing near cacra – odxel coast.
31	02/02/2016 at 5.00 pm	3 trawlers carried on illegal fishing
32	04/02/2016 at 3.30 pm	13 trawlers carried on illegal fishing at Carca-Odxel coast.
33	05/02/2016 at 4.00 pm	22 trawlers carried on illegal fishing. Harbor Police replied that there is no diesel in their patrol boat.
34	06/02/2016 at 4.40 pm	6 trawlers carried on illegal fishing near Odxel coast.
35	10/02/2016 at 9.10 am	10 trawlers carried on illegal fishing.
36	11/02/2016 at 3.15 pm	10 trawlers carried on illegal fishing
37	17/02/2016 at 2.30 pm	6 trawlers carried on illegal fishing near Siridao - Odxel coast.

This data indicates that there have been 37 instances of fishing rights violations as documented by Bharat Mukti Morcha units at Zuari Coast. Trawling particularly has taken its toll of the riverbed as trawling involved digging of the river bed. This is ecologically harmful style of fishing. This type of fishing is being carried on inspire of it being outlawed by law in rivers.

In addition to this we also want to bring to your kind attention that trawling and mini-per seining also takes place during night time. Due to darkness we are not able to give your proper count.

Kindly take immediate steps to stop illegal fishing during day and night. As per the above data in the table the safe conclusion is that there is high level of irresponsibility in its functioning.

Bharat Mukti Morchas calls upon you to act responsibly and stop illegal fishing in Zuari River. Install permanent 24 x 7 fishing patrol vessel in Zuari River

Thanking you,

Yours sincerely,

Maggie Silveira

President,

Goa State Unit

Sanjay Pereira

Convener,

Cacra unit 

Rohidas Andrade

Convener,

Bambolim unit

Soccoro Braganza

Convener, Siridao Unit

Anthony Cardozo

Convener,

Curca Unit

Sitaram Pereira

Convener,

Odxel Unit

Milind Palkar

Convener,

Nauxi unit

Chandrakant Lotlikar

Secretary,

Siridao Unit

Hanuman Dias

Co-convenor

Odxel Unit

Honu Dinkar,

Co-convener,

Odxel Unit

Deu Kankonkar

Secretary,

Nauxi Unit

Bikaro Dias

Co-convener,

Odxel Unit

Yeshwant Shirodkar,

Co-convener,

Odxel Unit

Manguesh Sawant,

Co-convener,

Odxel unit

Amir Mardolkar,

Co-convener,

Nauxim Unit

Francis Coelho,

Co-convener,

Nauxim Unit

Dulba Pereira,

Co-convener,

Cacra Unit

Santosh Gauns,

Co-convener,

Cacra Unit

Sheila D’mello,

Co-convener

Cacra Unit

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, Secretariat, Porvorim, Goa