08 May 2026
Got the opportunity to share three days in various locations in Uttara Kannada few days ago.
Defying all the Port constructions work on Honnavara Beach at Tonka accompanied by mischievous artificial lighting at night (ALAN) on the mouth of Sharavathi river one Olive Ridley turtle found gateway to the beach to dig out the sand and lay eggs. Happy occasion for local fishing community at Tonka who is involved in turtle conservation program in collaboration with Forest department. It's also sad news for HPPL who are committed to erase Tonka beach as turtle nesting site to install Port. There was media attention and excitement in the locality 07 May 2026 early morning! This development is indeed great milestone considering there's heavy traffic of heavy trucks and other vehicles on the beachside mud road that caused plenty of perturbation to marine creatures.
State administration and HPPL has initiated fresh criminal cases against four defenders of Tonka, Honnavar. Notices are served to Rajesh Tandel, Ganapati Tandel, Raju Tandel, Bhaskar Tandel. Notices served seeks to brand these four village defenders as "rowdy sheeter" for allegedly having multiple cases against them. They are called to Magistrates office in Karwar on 08 May 2026. One stange fact observed on notice is that Magistrate and Deputy superitendent of Police are one. Karnataka administration has launched long term plans to criminalize Tonka villagers and they get unfolded bit by bit every few months. May is one such momentous month.
Five beaches at Gokarna and Kumta talukas were notified by Karnataka tourism department office at Karwar as reserved for water sports activities. These five beaches includes Gokarna main beach, Kudle beach, Om Beach, Paradise Beach and Hop Moon beach in Kumta. Notification to this effect was issued on 17 April 2026. This notification also banned fishing activities within 02 kms from the shore. This evoked strong opposition from the local fishing organisation leading to petition before the office of Deputy Commissioner at Karwar media reports. Following the outcry Karnataka tourism department at Karwar issued crafification notice on 23 April 2026 wherein it claimed that specifi sites on the five named beaches will be designated for adventure sports and those sites have not been identified. However once those sites are identified fishermen are not supposed to do fishing there and adventurists are not supposed to venture in fishing sites. Tourism department has been issuing such notifications without taking fishers into any form of consultations. Pretty sad state of affairs. In Colombia indigenous people are banned from fishing 15 kms from shore as per information received. Will India go the same way?
Proposed Port site in Ankola remains tense and alert. People here witnessed massive outpouring of opposition to the Port project of Jindals with few thousands objections during 22 August 2025 Public Hearing at Ankola. In the meanwhile there signs that Project Proponent might have funded some elements to launch corruption allegations against movement leadership. There was press conference that refuted all the allegations against Sanjiv Balegar. In meanwhile we got to know about published detail 65 page critique (with annexures) of the EIA Report "Development of All-Weather Multi-Cargo Greenfield Deepwater Port Near Ankola, District. Uttara Kannada, Karnataka" by Ankola Sarva Samajagala Hitrakshana Sangha. The publication is legal, scientific and community oriented with seventy-three of footnotes references.
Port Project opposition at Honnavar are encouraged by recent observation of Lokayukta that fishermen at Tonka coast has legal rights to reside. Company had received Environmental Clearance based on the claim that land belongs to the Port company. New openings of opportunities have come about after recent setbacks at NGT Chennai and the Supreme Court betrayals.
Challenge in the above context is to build greater local alliances and Solidarity. How we go about doing this will determine level of defence of fishing communities. Fishing communities know coast intimately and they are first line of defence in every unfolding crises even though State and many other agencies treat us with disdain. We shall move ahead inspite of hostile surroundings and generate power within: self-dependent, self-reliant in genuine sense.
Struggle continues....
Sebastian Rodrigues
General Secretary
National Federation of Small-Scale Fishworkers (NFSF)
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