Harbour Coastal Security Police Station, Vasco
Phone: 0832-2521793
International Human Rights Day 2018 will witness latest
attempt to criminalize dissent and protests on the banks of Zuari river. Two
people Sanjay Pereira of Cacra village and Cosme Pires of Siridao village
engage in fishing activities in Zuari river are called at the Coastal Security
Police Station at Harbour Vasco at 10.30 am by PSI Therron D’Costa for
investigation based on complaint filed by Gracious Coutinho of H.No. 35, Salkar
Colony, Vaddem, Vasco. Case Cr. No. 01/2018 has been registered against both
them under sections 143, 147, 148, 323, 341,384, 506 (ii) r/w 149. These two
are charged with boarding the boat of Gracious Coutinho and his two colleagues
Kevin Barretto and Rocha Barreto with deadly weapons and taking over the boat
at 10.55 hours from Zuari river off Chicalim Coast near Chicalim Light House,
then taken the boats to Siridao coast and demanded cash of Rs.50,000/- to
release the canoes and labourers.
Having followed up the Zuari river conflicts closely for the
past four years and verifying ground reality my observations are as under:
1.
Neither Cosme Pires nor Sanjay Pereira was in
the river Zuari to commit the offenses as charged in a complaint.
2.
Three boats claimed to have brought to the
shores of Siridao in a complaint were using purse seine fishing nets banned for
use within 5 kms from the shore and in rivers.
3.
There are number of earlier incidents of this
type wherein canoes using purse seine fishing nets and trawlers has been
captured and brought the shore by several local people. Trawlers as well as
purse seine fishing nets used by canoes are illegal ab initio in Zuari river.
4.
In none of these incidents at River local people
are known to have used deadly weapons.
5.
Then power to capture fishing boats indulging in
illegal fishing is with Goa fisheries department and power stop illegal fishing
is vested with Coastal Security Police. There are several complaints pending
before both these authorities but due to the acts of omission they have
refrained from acting in the cases of rampant illegal fishing in Zuari river.
6.
There has been several meetings to discuss the
measures to stop illegal fishing in Zuari river but has been sabotaged in their
implementation. For past several patrol boat of fisheries department as well as
coastal security police vanished from their duties. No one knows as to where
the staff of Fisheries department patrol boat is posted currently leaving the
boat tied up at the Panjim Jetty.
7.
There is well co-ordinated, well oiled nexus of
those indulging in illegal fishing and the police of coastal security observed
in the past. Normal procedure followed was to keep the telephone line of
Harbour Police Station, Vasco in defective state so that public is prevented
from contacting and complaining. In fact I had question the police publicly at
the meeting held on 11/10/2018 at 3.00 pm at Conference Hall of the Goa
Directorate of Fisheries in the presence of several people including PSI
Therron D’Costa who blew up his tempers at me saying that I have no right to
question as it is a technical matter! Yes, technical faults are caused to
encourage illegal fishing in Zuari.
8.
Frustration of local communities of
non-responsiveness of these two authorities to effectively crackdown on illegal
fishing has led to constant conflicts in Zuari river leading to the capture of
boats indulging in illegal fishing.
9.
Why call letter of PSI Therron D’Costa failed to
record that Gracious Coutinho and his two colleagues Kevin Barretto and Rocha
Barretto themselves were indulging in illegal fishing?
10.
It is recorded in the minutes of the fisheries
department meeting held on 11/10/2018 that despite written communication of
invitation Old Cross Fishing Cannoe owners cooperative Society Ltd, Goencho
Ramponkarancho Ekvott, Baina Ramponkar & Fishing Canoe Owners Society has not
participated in the meeting called to discuss illegal fishing in Zuari. Some of
these organizations has given written memorandum to Goa Fisheries Department to
suspend fishing permission of those fishing boats indulging in illegal purse
seine fishing and were caught in similar way by people in Malvan Coast in
Maharashtra earlier this year.
11.
The intervention of Coastal Security Police at
the 11/10/2018 meeting at Fisheries department made it clear that they operate
based on dictates of politicians such as ex-revenue Minister of Goa Jose Philip
D’Souza who is never known to have defended traditional fishermen of Zuari
river.
12.
Article 51-A (g) of the Constitution of India
makes it is clear that it is a duty of every citizen of India to protect rivers.
Duty to protect of fidelity to river sustainability, Duty not to cause harm,
Duty to defend river from being harmed and Duty to Restorative Justice. Zuari
river has been plundered by purse seine fishing boats as well as trawlers for
four years now.
13.
Sanjay Pereira and Cosme Pires are not film
stars with glamour around but they are heroes who defend Ecology, uphold
Environmental Ethics and no attempt criminalize their activities will be taken
lightly. We will not be intellectually neutral. We have taken stand already
against illegal fishing by purse seine boats as well trawler fishing in Zuari
river; and now if the Coastal Security Police attempts to criminalize the
legitimate concerns of livelihood issues and ecological sustainability of Zuari
river, we will be failing in our duty if we do no criticize this evil.
14.
The damage that purse seine fishing does to the
Zuari river has already been discussed and well recorded in the minutes of
11/10/2018 at Directorate of Fisheries where in PSI Therron D’Costa himself was
present. St. Andre MLA Fransisco Silveira, Siridao Parish Priest Fr. Valeriano
Vaz, Bharat Mukti Morcha Goa State President Maggie Silveira explanations has
been recorded in minutes. “Fr. Valeriano Vaz, Parish Priest of Siridao
explained as to how the livelihood of the fishing community of Siridao has been
affected. He further explained that this community being uneducated is very much dependent on traditional fishing
for their livelihood. He explained that due to purse seining fishing done by
canoes in the jurisdiction of traditional fishermen, the later is left without
catch due to over exploitation of
resources by canoes using purse seine net.”
15.
“A Fishermen informed that the canoes are highly
equipped with fish finder instruments, double engines, generators etc to get a
good catch. Due to over exploitation of the fish there will be no fish breeding
a the finest life is destroyed. Their concern is that if this continued, in the
years to come they will be left with no fish. He informed about the goondaism
that have taken place few days ago and the disturbance caused by canoe owners
for not allowing them to do illegal fishing” reads minutes further.
What this police complaint has actually attempted is to suppress dissent and open up Zuari river for continues exploitation besides destroy livelihood of fishing communities practicing sustainable fishing practices like Gill net fishing etc. Awful role place is playing at present. Both Sanjay Pereira as well as Cosme Pires are DEEP members and international network will get activated in case of any untoward legal or illegal action against any of them.
Sebastiao Rodrigues,
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