Mini per seine fishing in Zuari violates Earth Charter

Date: 27/10/2016

To,

The Director,

Directorate of Fisheries,

Panjim, Goa

Subject:  Continuing violation of fishing rights in Zuari river

Madam,

We wish to let you know about continues fishing rights violation in Zuari river.

Mini- per seine boats is constant violators. One of their boats was found tossed up on Siridao shore on Friday 16^th September 2016. This boat was from Vasco and all the labourers on board were without their labour cards and boat was without owner. This was possible because Fisheries department has not installed proper monitoring system in the form of 24 hour fishing patrol boat in Zuari in spite of repeated requests from our side. 

On 19^th October 2016 and 20^th October 2016 there was mini – per seine boats again carried on illegal fishing early in the morning and continued till afternoon. Similarly on 21^st October 2016 around 10 mini per seine boats carried on illegal fishing before 7.00 am The peak of illegal fishing by mini –per seine boats in recent times took place on 22^nd October 2016 before 7.00 am when nearly 50 boats carried on illegal fishing within 100 meters from Siridao – Cacra shoreline. Your department was telephonically informed but we have not seen any action from your side to correct the wrongs being committed inside Zuari river.

You may note that the Earth Charter (http://earthcharter.org/invent/images/uploads/echarter_english.pdf)  in its Principle 15 (C) reads as follows “Avoid or eliminate to the full extent possible the taking or destruction of non-targeted species.” You may be aware that per seine and mini-per seine nets is all about destruction of non targeting species. 

Fisheries department has not taken any steps to defend the eco system of Zuari river and allowed mini-per seine boats to go on a rampage with their nets of even less than 5 mm in size that catches tiny fish that is either discarded or sold as fertilizer. This is gross insult to fish eating people in Goa and body blow to the eco system of Zuari river.

We call upon you to act on two grounds:

1.       Install 24 hours monitoring of Zuari river for illegal fishing

2.       Limit the net size of those carrying on fishing to 25 mm

Lastly we also want to place on record that because Bharat Mukti Morcha has been raising ethical issues in fisheries in Goa one of our convener Sanjay Pereira and Siridao village Fishermen has been facing arm-twisting treatment in the form of threat of violence inside Zuari River to conform to unsustainable way of fishing harmful to ecology. For us to conform to sick society is be sick. We won’t. We inform you well in advance for you to act.

Your prompt will be highly appreciated. 

Thanking you,

Yours Sincerely,

            Sd/-

Maggie Silveira,

President

Goa State

        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, 

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,

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 :

1.    Chief Minister, Secretariat, Porvorim, Goa 

2.    OSD to Deputy Chief Minister, Secretariat, Goa

3.    Leader of the Opposition, Secretariat, Porvorim, Goa 

4.    Minister of Fisheries, Secretariat, Porvorim, Goa

5.    Minister for Science and Technology, Secretariat, Porvorim, Goa

6.    Director General of Police, Panjim, Goa

7.    Superintendent of Police (Coastal Security), Panjim, Goa

8.    Chief Secretary, Secretariat, Goa

9.    Captain of Ports, Panjim, Goa

10. Secretary (Fisheries), Secretariat, Porvorim, Goa

11. Joint Secretary (Home)

12. Collector (North Goa), Panjim

13. Deputy Collector & S.D.O (Tiswadi)

14. M.L.A, Taleigao Constituency

15. M.L.A, Santa Cruz Constituency

16. M.L.A, St. Andre Constituency

17. Goenchea Ramponkarancho Ekvott (GRE), Cansaulim, Goa

18. Being  Bhahujan c/o Ashwinkumar Naik, Raia, Goa tel: 9822177158

19. Director, ICAR – ICAR Research Complex for Goa, Ela, Old Goa

20. Director, National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa

21. Director, Tribal Research Centre, Baddem, Khotigaon, Canacona, Goa Tel: 9822177158

22. Dr. Baban Ingole, Professor& Chief Scientist, Biological Oceanography, NIO, Dona Paula