Goa Fisheries Department needs full-time Director!

09/06/2025

To,

Hon'ble Chief Minister,

Government of Goa

Porvorim, Goa

Subject: Call for appointment of full-time Director of Fisheries

Respected Sir,

We are experiencing tremendous hardships over the past some months. Simple files of individual fishers are witnessing delays of around 04 to 05 months. 

We are given to understand that this delay is due to additional responsibilities and charges given to the current Director of Fisheries Ms. B. Yashaswini IAS.

Matters have worsened from May 04, 2025 when Fisheries Director was given additional charge as Collector of North Goa District after Sirgaon stampede.

We therefore request you to ensure that Directorate of Fisheries in Panjim gets full-time Director who is competent and can communicate fluently with fishers in Konkani.

Kindly treat this letter as urgent and act on priority. 

Thanking you.

Yours sincerely, 

Shaila D'mello

President

Laximan Mangueshkar

Secretary

Fire extinguisher in fishing canoes and insurance of the fishing crew

05/06/2025

To,

The Director, 

Directorate of Fisheries,

Government of Goa 

Panjim, Goa

Subject: Follow up to our visit to your office on 29.05.2025 to discuss issues of fire extinguisher in fishing canoes and insurance of the fishing crew etc...Regarding

Madam,

Delegation from All Goa Small Scale Responsible Fisheries Union (AGSSRFU) visited your office on 29.05.2025 to discuss and clarify the issues of mandatory installation of fire extinguisher in fishing canoes and mandatory insurance of the fishing crew and fishing vessel. 

We met officials of the Fisheries department that includes Deputy Director Dr. Smitha Majumdar, Superitendent of Fisheries Varsha Naik and Fisheries Officer Aniya Naik.

In this context we submit as under:

1. On Mandatory fire extinguisher: queries were raised on the legal basis of the decision. It was informed by Fisheries Officer that legal basis is Merchant Shipping (Fire Appliances) Rules, 1990. Department officials did not share gazetted copy of this law with us nor produced any notification from the Direction of Fisheries indication that 1990 central government legislation is going to be enforced against fishing canoes in Goa in 2025, after the gap of 35 years. It was concluded that due to these reasons fire extinguisher cannot be made mandatory for any fishing canoes in Goa.

2. On Crew insurance: it was noted that officials from the Fisheries department are insisting on fishermen getting the private insurance for fishing canoes crew. On this count it was pointed out during the meeting that as per Rule 3 (3)(ii)(e) of the Goa Marine Fishing Regulation (sixth ammendment) Rules 2021 the fishing vessel shall posses "a certificate of insurance coverage of its members and the fishing vessel". Thus the rule does not specify that it needs only private insurance coverage. There are two government schemes in this context that we wish to draw your attention to:

1. Group accidental insurance scheme

2. Corpus Fund Scheme

We therefore urge you that insurance coverage of fishing vessel crew be enforced through the above two schemes without resorting to private insurance companies. 

Kindly take this on priority attention and ensure that fishers are not harassment and troubled in this regard.

Thanking you.

Yours Truly,

Shaila D'mello

President

Laximan Mangueshkar

Secretary

Copy to Minister of Fisheries, Government of Goa

Call to revoke permissions to navigate water sports/tourism canoes in Sinquerim River from June 01 to August 31

03/06/2025

To,

Captain of Ports,

Government of Goa, 

Panaji, Goa

Subject: Call to revoke permissions to navigate water sports/tourism canoes in Sinquerim River from June 01 to August 31 

Sir,

This is to follow-up of  letter from All Goa Small Scale Responsible Fisheries Union (AGSSRFU) dated 28/05/2025 inwarded to your office on the same date with subject "call to cease all water sports/tourism canoes operations in Sinquerim river from June 01 to August 31".

Subsequently we got a phone call from your office to remain present for the personal hearing on 30/05/2025 at 15.00 hours. In obedience to the telephonic message delegation from AGSSRFU was present at the personal hearing held at the office Captain of Ports.

Inspite of personal hearing and your assurance to protect fishing interests in Sinquerim river water sports/tourism canoes with PNJ registration began their operations on 01 June 2025 thereby disrupting fish spawning season and fishing based livelihoods that Sinquerim river historically supported local fishing communities in Sinquerim, Candolim  Nerul etc till these canoes began disrupting stable self-sustaining local Fisheries three years ago.

We have on record verified information that your office has permitted these canoes to deploy 40 HP outboard motors mandatory. Few canoes operate with 40 HP outboard motors few with deceptive stickers of these motors are of 09 HP capacity. 

At the said personal hearing with Captain of Ports when this issues was brought up by one of the fisher from Candolim who is also member of AGSSRFU you counter questioned him rudely "Are you questing my decision"? AGSSRFU holds that bad decision needs to be questioned and you have no basis to behave rudely. Questioning is important aspect of healthy democratic practices and kindly introspect your conduct and behaviour towards fishing communities. 

Your decision to outsource dispute resolution to Olencio Simoes is not respected as Water Sports/Tourim canoes has resumed their highly objectionable disruptive activities in Sinquerim river from June 01, 2025 morning itself to the detriment of the Fisheries based livelihoods of the local fishermen and their families. 

We wish to bring to your attention the text of section 8 of gazette (extraordinary 3) notification no. B 14022/WS/Special Permissions/COP dated 7th July 2023 as follow:

"Captain of Ports reserves the right to grant or deny the NOC's in case of congestion, local fishermen problems, safety of navigation and may be revoked without assigning any reasons thereof".

You are therefore requested to invoke above section 8 of Gazette (extraordinary 3) notification no. B 14022/WS/Special Permissions/COP dated 7th July 2023 and revoke all the Permissions to operate water sports/tourism canoes in Sinquerim river for the months of June to August with immidiate effect on the ground of local fishermen facing problems due to water sports/tourim canoes navigating in Sinquerim river for the months of June to August.

Please note that your office will be held accountable and responsible for all the negative consequences flowing out of your decision to support water sports/tourism canoes against fishing based livelihoods so far.

We expect you to act to revoke the said permisions swiftly without any further delay and avoid situations may lead to unpredictable scenarios.

We communicate this to you with instructions from our Union members located in Sinquerim-Candolim-Nerul coastal belt received and dicussed at the AGSSRFU executive meeting held on 01/06/2025.

Thanking you.

Yours Truly,

Shaila D'mello

President

Laximan Mangueshkar 

Secretary

Copy to

1. Director of Fisheries, Government of Goa, Panaji, Goa

2. Director of Tourism, 

Government of Goa,

Panaji, Goa

 

3. President, Kandollchea Kharveancho Ekvott, 

937, Camotim Vaddo,

Candolim, Bardez, Goa

4. The President,

Traditional Fishermen's Association of North Goa

1611/46, Voilo Vaddo, Orda, Candolim, Bardez, Goa

Sarthak Ahuja and his obsession with tagging Goa's tourist taxi operators as mafia

 https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1ZeiYMaC3j/

Bharat Mukti Morcha strongly condemns Sarthak Ahuja for using defamatory language against taxi operators in Goa. He has posted objectionable video on Facebook on the above links referring Goa's Taxi Unions as mafia. He has repeated the same three times in the same video reflecting acute sense of frustration with Goans.

Mafia is an Acronym of set of activities put together when operated without sanction and approval of law. Taxis in Goa are not operating in with full sanction of law.

Oxford dictionary defines the word mafia as "a secret international organization of criminals active especially in Italy and the US". It also has another meaning as "a closely knit group of trusted associates who use ruthless and criminal methods to get advantages for themselves". This definition also does not apply to Goa's taxi operators. And those who want to know the actual Italian origin of mafia and its full form may consult this video:

https://youtu.be/jYZksdzVxic

So what's really is the obsession that drives so many online Facebook, instagram characters to refer Goa's taxis operators as "mafia"? Why this deliberate tag is sought to be imprinted as the image of Goa's taxi operators? No one from Goa has refered and tagged any of the aggregators in India as Cartels. So why this obsessions amongst Ahujas of India in the name of providing right facilities to tourists in Goa?

Can people of Goa allow themselves to be taken hostage by tourism? Tourism was built upon natural and social character of Goa. Real estate had no role in it. Real estate is in fact a intruder into tourism in Goa that needs to be countered.

Goa has seen international tourism right from 1960s and that tourism never took local people hostages as is being sought to be done today.

If Sarthak Ahuja has problem with the way tourism is generating jobs for local people in Goa through taxis he has to came to terms with it rather than propagating supplanting solutions of supporting Guidelines.

It is indeed very strange that this Sarthak Ahuja has appealed to people from all over India write to Goa's Transport Director in addition to those involved in real estate business.

Basically Sarthak advocates dismantling of tourism industry and re-forming it in such a way that people of Goa will be taken hostage of the industry. Economically local people will be shattered and taxi operators are just one section of it. The ripple effect in case of this disaster of guidelines being approved will fall on entire Goan society. Social consequences will be severe too.

The repeated use of the word "mafia" on taxi oprerators is inherently violent in the nature of the narrative. It is actually brainwashing people to be prepared for the actual physical violence to accept, justify and even celebrate in due course of time.

Desmond Morris has explained this phenomena beautifully in his book "Human zoo". He observes that dog is tagged mad repeatedly. After sufficient brainwashing through mind control exercises one day dog is shot dead even though actually dog was never mad. People then celebrate that mad dog is dead!

Narrative has a power and people like Sathak Ahuja use them effectively against people of Goa.

At his Facebook video posting option to post comments is closed. One cannot have any response there. His point of view is drilled down without any change of dialogue.

Video narrative ends with nationalistic narrative of "Jai Hind". No nationalistic slogans should be allowed perpetuate violence on any section of Goa including taxi operators. We counter this narrative with Jai Mulnivasi!

Bharat Mukti Morcha stands in support and Solidarity with people running their taxis business in Goa and their Associations and Unions.

Bharat Mukti Morcha calls upon Goa Government to withraw its decision to enforce Guidelines and protect livelihoods of taxi operators in Goa.

Jai Mulnivasi!

Agacaim turns toxic with clandestine release of hazardous chemicals

 

Agacaim village has turned toxic at sevaral sites with clandestine discharge of hazardous chemicals in traditional rainwater run-off paths. 

Eversimce its started raining past few weeks black fluids mixed with the toxic substances and hazardous chemicals turning water itself black.

Several paddy fields due for cultivation has turned black in mourning mode. Traditional run-off paths resembles black dirty smelly gutters leading into Panvel river. Agacaim run-off this toxic water into Zuari river causing huge threat to marine ecosystems too.

Ground investigations indicate that toxic substance were released in the open somewhere near Agacaim-Pilar border threatening and poisoning large portion of Agacaim village and Zuari river.

There are huge implications of thus criminal act, one of them being destruction of agriculture, fisheries, collapse of natural ecosystems, and collapse of Public Health.

All the agencies of the State needs to act systematically and in co-ordination to track down as to who has caused this ecocide and expose those involved. All the concerned groups are also required to work in co-ordination to assist in restoration of damaged land and purify polluted waters.