Tuesday, 15 May 2018

Illegal fishing by trawlers and purse seine boats in Zuari River and call to involve students


Date: 24th April 2018


To,
The Speaker,
Goa Legislative Assembly,
Secretariat, Porvorim, Goa

To,
The Minister of Fisheries,
Government of Goa,
Secretariat, Porvorim, Goa

To,
The Secretary (Fisheries),
Government of Goa,
Secretariat, Porvorim, Goa

To,
The Director of Fisheries,
Panjim, Goa,
To,
The Superintendent of Police (Coastal Security), Police Headquarters,
Panjim, Goa

To,
The Deputy Superintendent of Police (Coastal Security), Ribandar, Goa

To,
The Police Inspector,
Agassaim Police Station,
Agassaim, Goa

To,
The Leader of the Opposition,
Goa Legislative Assembly,
Porvorim, Goa

To,
MLA,
St. Andre
Constituency



To,
MLA,
Santa Cruz Constituency

To,
MLA,
Talegao Constituency,



Subject: Illegal fishing by trawlers and purse seine boats in Zuari River and call to involve students

Madam/ Sir,

In spite of our repeated intimation to your office illegal fishing by trawlers in Zuari River continues. Here are latest trawler details: Daily between 8.30 pm to 4.00 am in the night time 4 to 5 trawlers regularly carry on illegal fishing. Then on last Sunday 22/04/2018 between 4 to 5 trawlers carried on illegal fishing during day time twice, in the morning at 8.30 am and in the night at 9.50 pm. Trawler “Netra” is one of the repeat offenders and few trawlers are without latest registration numbers from Department of Fisheries.

Here we share latest mini purse seine details: One boat carries on daily illegal fishing Zuari using banned purse seine fishing net from 5.30 am to 9.00 am and 3.30 pm to 5.30 pm.

We have noted that there is nil co-ordination between Coastal Security Police and Fisheries department and as a result illegal fishing which is also ecologically dangerous is thriving in Zuari river. You are requested to pay immediate attention to this problem and solve it. Your neglect may lead to situation going out of control and total collapse of law and order as well as collapse of fisheries administration in Zuari as it was on 30/03/2018 when 35 mini purse seine boats carried on illegal fishing without any hindrance from the authorities which we have already informed to Fisheries department as well as to Coastal Police via our letter dated 09th April 2018. 

So you are requested to take identify and penalize offender trawlers and mini purse seine boats as well as take punitive action against responsible officers.
We further request you to involve students and faculty of Goa University and other educational institutions such as BITS Pilani Goa Campus, Collages, Higher Secondary schools etc in tackling this problem as Coastal Security Police as well as Fisheries department has proved to be insufficient and inefficient. We suggest the following pedagogy to engage with Students of above cited institutions:

Ø Explain nature of Zuari River with rich fish diversity back by existing studies
Ø Food Security provided by Zuari river to fishermen and fish consumers human and non-human in Goa
Ø Introduction to sustainable, ecological and ethical fishing practices such as Gillnet fishing, Pagel, Stakes, Rampon etc and general threats to it.
Ø Prevalent law regulating fishing in Goa involving Directorate of Fisheries and Coastal Security Police
Ø Success and Failures of Directorate of Fisheries and Coastal Security Police in tackling illegal fishing by Trawlers and Mini-purse seine boats in Zuari river
Ø Role of Students, Teaching Faculty and Public in tackling illegal fishing in Zuari in the face of repeated failures of Fisheries department and Coastal Security Police – Group discussions
Ø For more details on dynamics of Zuari river fishing refer to field reports and letters at folder “Fishing” at our  blog www.bharatmukti.blogspot.in
Ø Collation generated ideas and Publication of Reports by Department of Fisheries and Coastal Security jointly.
Ø From the Academic Year 2018-2019 launch long term collaboration of Directorate of Fisheries, Coastal Security Police and Education Institutions in Goa to protect and defend River Zuari ecology from illegal fishing.
Should you need our assistance then we will be glad to do so in any possible way for the sake of River Zuari, its ecology and sustainable and ethical fishing practices in Goa.

Thanking you,
Yours sincerely



Maggie Silveira
President, Goa State

Rohidas Andrade
Convenor, Bambolim Unit

Sanjay Pereira
Convenor, Cacra Unit

Socorro Braganza
Convenor, Siridao Unit

Sitaram Pereira
Convenor, Odxel Unit

Milind Palkar
Convenor, Nauxim Unit

Ms. Kalpana Diukar
Co-convenor, Odxel Unit


Anthony Cardozo
Convenor, Curca Unit

Chandrakant Lotlikar
Secretary, Siridao Unit

Hanuman Dias
Co-convenor, Odxel Unit

Honu Divkar
Co-convenor, Odxel Unit

Deu Kankonkar
Secretary, Nauxim Unit

Yeshwant Shirvoikar
Co-convenor, Odxel Unit

Manguesh Sawant
Co-convenor, Odxel Unit


Amir Mardolkar
Co-convenor, Nauxim Unit

Francis Coelho
Co-convenor, Nauxim Unit

Jaya Kuttikar
Co-convenor, Odxel Unit

Jonu Shirvoikar
Co-convenor, Odxel Unit

Ms. Sheila D’mello
Co-convenor, Cacra Unit

Ashok Kukalkar
Co-convenor, Odxel Unit

Ganashyam Diukar
Co-convenor, Odxel Unit


Uttam Martins
Co-convenor, Odxel Unit

Rohit Hadkonkar
Co-convenor, Bambolim Unit

Sanju Diukar
Co-convenor, Odxel Unit

Chandranath Rosario
Co-convenor, Cacra Unit

Vijay Sawant
Co-convenor, Cacra Unit

Ragunath Sautodkar
Co-convenor, Cacra Unit

Mahadev Andre Rosario
Co-convenor, Nauxim Unit




Laxman Mangueshkar
Co-convenor, Siridao Unit







Copy to:
1.     The Vice-Chancellor,
Goa University, Taleigao, Goa

2.     Director,
BITS Pilani Goa Campus, Zuarinagar, Goa

3.     Principal,
Fr. Agnel College of Arts and Commerce, Pillar, Goa

4.     Principal
Fr. Agnelo Higher Secondary School, Pillar, Goa

5.     Principal
Dhempe College of Arts and Science, Panjim, Goa

6.     Principal
Dempo College of Commerce, Panjim, Goa

7.     Principal,
St. Joseph Vaz College, Cortalim, Goa

8.     St. Joseph Vaz Institute of Education,
Cortalim, Goa

9.     Principal,
MES College, Vasco, Goa

10.                         Principal,
Don Bosco College, Panjim

11.                         Principal,
Don Bosco Higher Secondary, Panjim

12.                         Principal,
Santa Cruz Higher Secondary School, Santa Cruz

13.                         Principal,
Nirmala Institute of Education, Panjim, Goa

14.                         Principal,
Our Lady of Rosary Higher Secondary School, Dona Paula

15.                         Principal,
St. Andrews Higher Secondary School, Vasco

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