Objections to Blue Flag Accredition to Siridao beach

15 April 2024

To,

The Director of Tourism,

Government of Goa,

Paryatan Bhavan,

Panaji, Goa

Subject: Objections to Blue Flag Accredition to Siridao beach

Sir,

We have come to know from media reports (https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/crz-nod-given-for-amenities-meeting-blue-flag-standards-at-siridao-beach/articleshow/109014044.cms) that Goa Tourism Department has taken nod from Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) to provide Blue Flag certification to Siridao beach.

Our investigations in this regard has revealed the following insights:

1. The purpose of getting Denmark standards of Beaches is known as Blue Flag certification for portion of Siridao beach is for catering to the exclusive Tourism purpose. 

2. After interaction with gillnet fishers on Siridao Beach it is revealed that none were consulted by your office before taking the Blue Flag decision. This way of decision-making that exclude and dispense fishing communities from governance is a political tragedy.

3. The method of decision-making adopted by your office with regards to Blue Flag certification for Siridao beach threatens to expel fishing communities at Siridao from the fishing based livelihoods currently practiced at Siridao beach. This we totally object to.

4. Brief history of Blue Flag certification of Goa's Beaches reveals that Velsao and Miramar fishermen had already rejected the same during past years for creating threats to fishing occupations by intruding on to fishing boat spaces.

5. Fishing communities are bestowed with the role of "stewards" of the coast in SSF voluntary Guidelines, a piece of international law that India is signatory too. Non-consulting fishing communities on Blue Flag certification of Siridao beach therefore constitutes violation of international fishing jurisprudence and you are required to review your style of functioning vis-a-vis fishing communities on Siridao Beach and all other beaches in Goa. 

6. We request your office to maintain cleanliness of all the Beaches in Goa. Current status of Beaches in Goa including Siridao beach is pathetic. Beaches are littered with plastics and broken glass pieces. Due to wrong touristic publicity to Goa on its liberal liquor policy several groups of people are seen visiting Beaches, consuming alcohol and afterwards break the bottles on the beach itself creating health and safety issue for everyone working and visiting the beaches. This gross abuse has made several beaches in Goa including Siridao beach dangerous. You are requested to launch a program to address this rather than creating exclusive tourist use beaches with all the infrastructure objectionable to fishing communities.

All Goa Small Scale Responsible Fisheries Union (AGSSRFU) in a meeting held on 11 April 2024 examined this issue of Siridao beach from fishing perspective and decided to initiate suitable moves.

We hereby request your office to abort your plans to designate Siridao beach as Blue Flag certified destination for exclusive tourist enjoyment and stop your practice of excluding local fishing communities from the decision-making process concerning Goa's coastal and riparian geographies.

Thanking you,

Yours sincerely,

Shaila D'mello

President 

Laximan Mangueshkar

Secretary

Copy to

Director of Fisheries, 

Panaji, Goa

Member-Secretary, 

Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority, 

Panaji, Goa

Shri Viresh Borkar,

M.L.A, 

St. Andre Constituency,

Goa

Sarpanch, 

Village Panchayat,

Siridao, Goa