Call for action against illegal trawler fishing in Zuari river

Bharat Mukti Morcha (BMM), Goa Unit strongly condemns night trawling in Zuari river being carried on from daily these days from 9.00 pm to 4.00 am by two trawlers. Both the fisheries department as well as Coastal Police has not taken note of the occurrences due to unknown reason. Trawling is banned in rivers and also withing 5 kms from the shoreline. Trawling is also banned during night time. In addition trawling is banned during June- July to allow rivers and ecosystem to recover and maintain its capacity to nurture breeding of various fish species.

Even though there are laws against this kind of trawling their enforcement is pathetic. BMM calls for night patrolling of Zuari river by Coastal Police and Fisheries Department to stop illegal trawling in Zuari river. SSF Guidelines too call for halt to Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing activities. SSF Guidelines enforcement are part of National Policy on Marine Fisheries 2017 via Article 54.

BMM also call upon all the fishing community leaders and organisations of Goa to organize group study sessions on SSF Guidelines as without study and awareness fishing community organisations in Goa are lacking in direction to move ahead towards liberation and decisive action against several threats to fisheries and livelihood of small scale fishing communities.