IFFI 2025 and its irresponsibilty in Panjim

 

Fishers from all over Goa gathered today 21 November 2025 to celebrate World Fisheries Day at Campal beach, Panjim at a call from All Goa Small Scale Responsible Fisheries Union (AGSSRFU). It was low tide in the afternoon. Heroes -Dhananja N. Kerker, Anilash A. Mehta, Rupesh S. Juvatkar, Kiran S. More and Sudhakar V. Joshi (All from Betul, Goa) who rescued 28 crew of capsized trawler on 28 September 2025 were falicitated. By the time program got over Tides changed. High tide triggered swelling of water. Fishers lingered at the beach near the fishing boats.

Today there was non-stop music in the evening, cultural program on the footpath and few eateries. Just when cultural program got over eatery outlet flunked plastic garbage in the river water where fishing boats are station and in presence of fishers. 

This certainly means that deliberate disposal of plastic waste of International Film Festival of India  (IFFI) into river was sure to get trapped in the fishing nets. The video captures the GIS information on the way river is insulted and treated as urban sink by events such as IFFI in 2025.

Why IFFI arrangements should be so disgusting, irresponsible and careless? Who is accountable for this. Whoever they may be one be clear to whoever they are that we simply refuse to take your nonsense anymore. Pull up and streamline the organising. Don't mess with Mandovi river. Enough is enough!

Documentary on Goa's Fishery 'Casting Shadow'

Group of students from St. Xavier's College, Mapusa put together a video documentary produced by Sydel Mendes. Documentary was completed a year ago and flagged important issues connected to fishing in Goa - Marine, Inland and Fish markets. This video is very good capsule of information for anyone to start work on further advancements. 

Casting Shadows here:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=4OSlUmcO8Uk

On the launch of Climate resilent coastal fishermen village at Cacra

12th November 2025

To,

Dr. Pramod Sawant, 

Chief Minister, 

Government of Goa

To,

Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh

Hon'ble Union Minister for Fisheries, 

Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandary and Dairying, Government of India

Sir,

Welcome to Cacra, Goa on the launch of Climate resilent coastal fishermen village today.

We at All Goa Small Scale Responsible Fisheries Union (AGSSRFU) take this opportunity to appraise you of the context of Small Scale Fishery (SSF) in Goa:

                                       I

This very river that we see is named Zuari. Central Government Institution Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) has leased out the very water space where Small scale fishers carry their fishing activities to set up two private marinas Nauxim and Sancoale. Draft EIA Report of AHOY Marina at Nauxim has even declared that it will have long term, negative and irreversible impact on fisheries in Zuari river. You are urged to intervened to canceled both these Marina projects in Zuari river as MPT (now MPA) is Central government institution under Ministry of Shipping, Ports and National Waterways. 

                                        II

Rivers in Goa play vital role in support of small scale fishing activities. However Central Government without consulting fishing communities of Goa has declared six rivers of Goa - Sal, Zuari, Cumbharjua, Mandovi, Moira/Mapusa and Chapora - as National Waterways. This decision has posed direct long term negative impacts on SSF. Riparian lands along these rivers comes under the jurisdiction of Inland Waterways Authority of India. You are urged to intervene to get Goa's rivers de-notified from National Waterways Act 2016.

                                        III

Dharti Abha scheme of the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs which is meant for Scheduled Caste Fishers is not extended to the tribal villages of Nauxim, Bambolim, Cacra, Odxel even though these are Scheduled Tribe populated villages. You are urged to intervened in the matter positively. Even though Union Tribal Affairs Ministry has been communicated to in this regard there is no response received.

                                          IV

Inclusion of MPT under the scope of Major Ports Authorities Act 2021 has created sense of insecurity of SSF as Coastal villages as well as water fronts are declared within "Port limits". Ports limits has its its ways in CZMP maps too. Mormugao Port Authority (MPA) has directly claimed its jurisdiction upto Cortalim-Agacaim bridge in zuari river and upto Betul in South Goa thereby causing long term threats to SSF activities. There are suspicions that this will further pave way towards transforming Goa into Coal Hub. You are urged to intervene to exclude MPA from the scope of Major Ports Authorities Act 2021.

                                             V

Illegal Sand mining and installation of casino gambling vessels has disrupted fishing activities in Mandovi river. Verem fishers had to directly confront casino invadion of their fishing spaces twice in last month of October 2025. You are requested to take note of this.

                                           VI

Central Government has permitted operation of Tourism passenger boats under Inland Vessels Act in Goa's rivers. These boats has disrupted fishing activities in Sinquerim river in north Goa and Sal river in South Goa. These are admistered through Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI). You are requested take note of this situation and intervene positively in defence of SSF of Goa.

                                       VII

Central Government has banned fishing by use of Light Emitting Diode (LED). However ban continues to be violated across Goa's coast by mechanised fishing boats even within 05 kms from the shore at night. LED Fishing along with Bull Trawling has triggered massive depletion of fish at Sea with negative impacts to the entire SSF communities in Goa. Illegal mechanised fishing is going on by mechased trawlers and purse seine boats within 05 kms of the shore from Pernem to Canacona. It happen even in Zuari river and we had to knock the doors of Goa Bench of Bombay High Court in this regard. 5 kms space needs to be demarcated with buoyancy floaters in Arabian Sea. You are requested to pay special attention to this situation as it is directly concerned with Ministry of Fisheries. 

                                       VIII

River Sal in South Goa is very important in terms of providing livelihoods to thousands of people including hundreds of women engaged in various types of fishing based livelihoods. This river is facing various dangers and needs urgent attention. The was dredged few years ago. Pollution is threatening Fisheries. Hyacinths aquatic plant species has invaded water space of fishers. Mangroves has extended towards the middle of the river in various spots reducing fishing spaces. Trawlers allowed to dock inside the river in Assolna-Cavelossim stretch has created hurdles for gillnet fishing. Water sports in this river is a source of constant disturbance to SSF. Industrial Aquaculture farms in traditional salt pans on the river Bank release the chemical water into Sal river. Chemicals affects fish in the river and injuries are observed on river fish. You are requested to note this Sal river situation and intervene positively.

                                      IX

Canacona in South of Goa has formidable problems to hard working fishers. Saleri river has silted and river has turned non-navigable for fishing cannoes during low tide. As a result fishing time has reduced drastically and fishers are deeply troubled. Authorities don't pay any attention to their woes. You are requested to intervene positively in this matter.

                                     X

Ports are not just threatening lives, livelihoods and lifestyles of coastal people at Kasarkod, Honnavar and Keni, Ankola in Uttar Kanada. It is happening in Goa too. There are constant threats to occupation, houses and land adjacent to MPA in Vasco and Nauxim in Tiswadi. Fishers are compelled to approach Court of Law time and again. You are requested note this situation minutely.

                                       XI

Tourism promotion projects on many occasions has come to demote and disrupt fishing activities of SSF. Last National Games water sports held in Goa prevented fishers on Vaiginim Beach from entering Zuari river for 21 days without any compensation. Two weeks ago it was repeated at Caranzalem Beach when Oceanman swimming event was forced inside Ramponn, traditional beach seine. Fishers resisted. Attempts were made to declare beaches at Miramar, Siridao, Velsao as Blue Flag Beaches exclusive for tourists. Fishers resisted. Tourism has led to mushrooming of hotels on the river banks. Hotel Grand Hyatt is carrying on constructions inside the waters of Zuari river. Several Hotels are constructed on the river banks and sewage released directly into river waters. Tourism led urbanization has led to dumping of waste including plastics and raw sewage directly into rivers. Fishing nets often catch more plastics than fish. Tourists choose to get drunk on beaches and break glass liquour bottles leaving glass pieces in sand. You are urged to pay attention to this situation too.

                                     XII

Above cited anthropogenic factors combined with climate change creates detrimental consequences to fishers. Everytime there is excess rainfall Goa's dams are opened loose to let water go. This massive water flow gets iron ore mining silt and industrial waste into rivers. Pollution of water makes fish dissappear for nearly a month in places like Vanxem, Lotoulim. 

There are lot more issues confronting small scale fishers in Goa. Let's start by tackling the above issues on priority.

We once again thank you for choosing Cacra for this scheme under PMSSY. We hope with certainty that our resilience capacity will be strengthen. 

Yours Truly,

Shaila D'mello

President 

Laximan Mangueshkar 

Secretary 

Dr. Sebastiao Rodrigues

General Secretary,

National Federation of Small-Scale Fishworkers (NFSF)

Copy to 

1. Shri Nilkant Halarnkar, Fisheries Minister, Government of Goa

2. Dr. Abhilaksh Likhi, Secretary (Fisheries), Government of India, 

3. Ms. Neetu K. Prasad, Joint Secretary (Marine Fisheries), Government of India.

4. Shri. Rodolfo Fernandes, MLA, Santa Cruz constituency

5. Smt. Jennifer Montserrat, MLA, Talegao constituency

6. Shri. Prasanna Acharya, Secretary (Fisheries), Government of Goa

7. Dr. Shamila Monteiro, Director of Fisheries, Government of Goa 

8. Smt. Shiny Emilda De Oliviera, Zilla Panchayat Member, Santa Cruz

9. Smt. Jenifer Tome Hilitor De Oliviera, Sarpanch, Santa Cruz Panchayat

10. Viresh Borkar, MLA, St. Andre Constituency

Monetising Misfortune: Blue Economy’s Onslaught on Small-Scale Fishing Communities in India Small-Scale Fishing Communities Reject Government Model of Development

The National Federation of Small-Scale Fishworkers (NFSF) reaffirms its strong opposition to the Blue Economy model of development, which in essence means handing over the ecological resources to the corporate at the cost of traditional, small-scale fishing communities. Large number of ports, logistics corridors and infrastructure, real estate and tourism, nuclear, defence and power infrastructure, oil and natural gas extraction and pharmaceutical industries have been lacerating the coastal ecology. The ongoing ‘India Maritime Week 2025’ conclave is a blatant proclamation of the invasion and occupation of the Indian coast. Hidden behind India’s development and global aspirations lay the exclusion of fishing communities from democratic processes, their expulsion from the coast and the extinction of their way of life and livelihood.

Each and every protest of the small-scale fishing communities is crushed through brutal state repression.

78 years of independence has failed to provide any legal right to the small-scale fishing communities over their livelihood spaces. That includes fisheries resources, coastal lands and waters, rivers, wetlands, reservoirs, lagoons, ponds and tanks. This absence of rights is the main reason that facilitates the transfer of these lands and waters from small-scale fishing communities to corporate entities for profits under the sponsorship of the state.

Indiscriminate promotion of capital-intensive mechanised fishing is running havoc to the marine fisheries resources. Encroachments, pollution, excessive diversion of water from water bodies and use of rivers for huge cargo transportation are similarly affecting both inland and marine fisheries resources. Massive promotion of aquaculture is premised upon the ruin of natural fish resources. Boom of intensive/industrial shrimp aquaculture has destroyed the coastal ecology, which is the resource base of small-scale fishing communities. There are wider concerns in the shift of this short-sighted profit seeking model of intensive shrimp aquaculture from natural or traditional shrimp production, such as depletion of groundwater and threat to public health with food insecurity and nutritional deficiency.

Small-scale fishing communities who are least responsible for the climate crisis are bearing its most severe brunt. The small-scale fishing communities are experiencing the climate crisis in severe loss of fishing days, loss of life, boats and nets, habitat destruction and gradual collapse of fish drying activities, which disproportionately affect women from the fishing community. Existing government policies are not only inadequate to compensate for the financial losses faced by small-scale fishing communities, but also are promoting those most responsible for the climate crisis.

To counter the onslaught on small-scale fishing communities, NFSF demands:

1. Protection and restoration of coastal and inland water bodies, including fish resources;

2. Small-scale fishing communities right to access, use and protect water, land and fish resources;

3. Stop destruction of the coast in the name of Blue Economy;

4. Stop over-fishing and destructive fishing practices and methods;

5. Stop intensive/industrial aquaculture;

6. Stop criminalisation of small-scale fishing communities

7. Climate justice for small-scale fishing communities;

Our Coasts, Our Rivers, Our Wetlands are Not for Sale.

Save Water. Save Fish. Save Fisher People.

Pradip Chaterjee 

President, NFSF

Sebastiao Rodrigues

Secretary, NFSF

D. Pal

Joint Secretary, NFSF & Gen. Secretary DTFWF, A.P

Vanxim (Capao) and its Seven Sale Deeds by Gaunekars to Ozone Leisure and Resorts Private Limited

Seven sale deeds executed on seven different days in July- August 2015 between Mahendra P. Gaunekar and Sonali M. Gaunekar as Vendors with Ozone Leisure and Resorts Private Limited as Vendee.

Total Vanxim (Capao) land area purchased by Ozone is 141.57 Acres or 349.55 hectares or 5,72,950 square meters.

Total pages are around 200.

Total financial transaction on sale deed recorded: Rs. 22,64,58,487/- (Twenty two crore sixty-four lakh fifty eight thousand four hundred and seven rupees)

Those who need sale deeds sale soft copy may contact mobile: 

+ 91 99 23 33 63 47.

Contempt of Court orders in Writ Petition No. 370 of 2024 through illegal mechanised fishing at Zuari river mouth and call to demarcate 05 kms specified area

 25.10.2025

To,

The Chief Secretary, 

Government of Goa, 

Panaji, Goa

To,

Director of Fisheries, 

Government of Goa 

Panaji, Goa

To,

Captain of Ports,

Government of Goa, 

Panaji, Goa

To,

Superitendent of Police, 

Coastal Security, 

Panaji, Goa

Subject: Contempt of Court orders in Writ Petition No. 370 of 2024 through illegal mechanised fishing at Zuari river mouth and call to demarcate 05 kms specified area

Sir/Madam

Late night of 23.10.2025 at 10.18 pm around 10 trawling mechanised boats carried on illegal fishing on very mouth of Zuari river near Dona Paula.

This is the first incident of ineffectiveness of Government machinery to enforce ban on mechanised fishing beyond 05 kms distance from the shore after 16.10.2025 joint meeting between All Goa Small Scale Responsible Fisheries Union (AGSSRFU) with Director of Fisheries, Senior officers of Captain of Ports and Senior police officers of coastal security to thebranks of Deputy Superitendent and Police Inspector review implimentaion of High Court directions in Writ Petition 370 of 2024.

We believe that such Violations continue to repeat because your office has never implimented one of the important directions of the High Court in Writ Petition 370 of 2025 (All Goa Small Scale Responsible Fisheries Union VS Government of Goa) that states "Patrol boats of the Fisheries department as well as Coastal Security Police must be stationed at the Dona Paula Jetty and not only at Vasco-da-Gama, because the illegal purse seine fishing takes place mostly at Siridao/Dona Paula bay area."

In view of continues non-implinentation we shall be constrained to file Contempt of Court petition against your office for non-implinentation of the above directions and all other directions contained in the mentioned court ruling where in your assurance is recorded in the last para of the order as "the minutes of the meeting dated 01.03.2024, which learned Additional Government Advocate assured that the same would be scrupulously followed and in view of the positive standof the respondents that they will act on the suggestions made by the petitioners as recorded in order, accepting such assurance which the respondents shall follow in letter and spirit, the petition is disposed of."

Kindly accept this as an advance notice of our intention to go for Contempt of Court proceedings in near future against your office due to failure to impliment High Court directions.

Further in the above context we request you to demarcate Specified area along Goa's entire coastline and keep us continuesly updated on steps initiated.

Thanking you.

Yours Truly,

Shaila D'mello 

President

Laximan Mangueshkar 

Secretary

Complaint againt Tourism parasailing/paragliding boats in Zuari river

 25.10.2025

To,

Director of Fisheries,

Government of Goa, 

Panaji, Goa

To,

Director of Tourism, 

Government of Goa,

Panaji, Goa

Subject: Complaint againt Tourism parasailing/paragliding boats in Zuari river

Madam/Sir,

All Goa Small Scale Responsible Fisheries Union is registers strong protest against parasailing/ paragliding boats operating in Zuari river from Dona Paula to Siridao specially in the evenings till 7.30 pm that obstructs our fishing activities.

You are requested to direct them to halt their evening operations in Zuari river or initiate appropriate legal action such as cancelation of their permissions in case they don't comply to your instructions. 

Thanking you.

Yours Truly, 

Shaila D'mello 

President 

Laximan Mangueshkar 

Secretary

Complaint againt mid-night basket boats fishing in Mandovi river

 25.10.2025

To,

Director of Fisheries,

Government of Goa, 

Panaji, Goa

To,

Superitendent of Police,

Coastal Security, 

Panaji, Goa

To,

Captain of Ports,

Panaji, Goa 

Subject: Complaint againt mid-night basket boats fishing in Mandovi river

Madam/Sir, 

We seek your attention to mid-night illegal basket boats fishing in Mandovi river carried on with infant children on board. This is indeed very dangerous.

These people who come from outside Goa in truck are night use fishing passive fishing gears like gillnet soaked in animal fat of cattle and pigs to enhance fish attraction through smell.

This kinds of fishing is reported near Betim-Panjim Ferry crossings. Here is the link to online media reports about the same last week:

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1GhNaRtjpM/

As a government authority we urge you to initiate action such unauthorized fishing practices in Mandovi river.

Thanking you.

Yours Truly, 

Shaila D'mello 

President 

Laximan Mangueshkar 

Secretary

Did Oceanmann swimming event had permissions for Bambolim beach?

There was face-off yesterday morning between Caranzalem fishers and the Oceanmann swimming team at Aivao Beach. It has now come to light that this event might have been permitted by Captain of Ports to be organised in Zuari river waters at Bambolim beach on 26 October 2025 morning. 

This is an interesting situation when the international swimming event had State permissions to host it at Bambolim Beach it got inplimented arbitrary to Aivao Beach without any State permissions.

Could the shift venue on this manner be because there is no Bambolim beach existing after being destroyed and swallowed by Hotel Grand Hyatt for upcoming retaining wall inside the river waters?

Or could the shift of venue in this manner vould be because of international negative publicity Hotel Grand Hyatt would have attracted for their Beach destruction in Bambolim?

Was Hotel Grand Hyatt carried on behind-the-scene operations to ensure that International swimming event doesn't take place at Bambolim beach?

If answer to above questions positive then we got into phase of over-tourism wherein tourism is not just gobling local people and ecology but another level where tourim is eating tourism itself. This is a phase disastrous and inevitable to avoid for capital and greed has taken the drivers seat while morals and justice is pushed to margins.

In Defence of Fishers of Caranzalem Beach!

Rampon fishing on Caranzalem Beach 

Today 26 October 2025 is one more day in history of Goa where fishers - women and men - valiantly fought back tourism aggression on Aivao Beach at Caranzalem. Oceanman, the global network behind this aggresion - declared on their website all the details of their plans to organise swimming races at the beach beginning with briefing at Cidade de Goa on 24 October 2025. The races were to be held at Caranzalem on Aivao Beach. Aivao is spelled on the website as Aivavo. Only missing information was consent from local fishermen. That cost them to be cast out of the beach today! Henceforth every corporate will know the value of consulting fishers on their plans.

Organisers were to have series of swimming races on 25-26 October 2025 on Caranzalem beach at Aivao.

Today races were to begin in two parts. First at 7.00 am and the second at 11.00 am.

As per online reports available local fishermen cast their fishing net -Rampon - early morning in waters exactly at the same Beach. Rampon fishing is Beach seine that is done with collaboration of nearly 80 people pulling the fishing nets at the two edges in waters casted through a big size boat. The gap between two edges of fishing nets is nearly two kilometers at the start and it diminishes towards the end of pulling effort. Caranzalem is one of the few beaches in Goa this rampon survives test of times as number of them has been closed down due to various factors.

Rampons has been genuine traditional marine fishing tradition of coastal Goa. The entire efforts of rampon takes nearly seven hours of hard non-stop pulling efforts. Once rampons are in waters no way it can be pulled up immediately.

There looked to be complete information gap between the Oceanman on one side promoting swimming races and the fishermen and fisherwonen engaged in fishing. Time of their operations clashed just as the Geography. Women led the charge. Private security of Oceanman behaved to threatened violence against fishers as per online reports. Police showed up on the beach. Several four wheelers seen moving on the beach. Invasion was real.

Fishers were in complete darkness over sudden decent of powerful strangers on their beach and chasing them off. Retaliation by handful of fishers was resolute. Strong enough to push the Oceanman dream swimming races wash down the drains of time. Fishers refused to bulge. They objected any swimming races inside their fishing nets.

Local fishers take turn to fishing in teams. Each team gets their turn of rampon after 19 days. What they earn on their turn of day has to fetch them income at least for next19 days. Or else they would go in financial crunch extending to debt.

Swimming races of paricipants from India and abroad suddenly threatened their occupational practices. They fought well. They deserve our support and respect.

There are series of attacks on fishers from vested interests from various quarters. Marinas, water sports and parasailing in Zuari river. PNJ boats in Sinquerim river. Water sports threats in Sal river. Gambling Casinos obstructing Verem fishing spaces at Reis Magos in Mandovi river.

Critical issue common in all the cases: Fishers are excluded from decision making and projects hostile to fishers interests are rolled out like magician pops out rabbit out of the hat. This must stop. State and corporates must not take fishers for ride any longer. If it's done then there will be consequences for sure!

Inspiring resistance is all over Goa and Caranzalem fisher fight back to defend their fishing practices is one more inspiring episode to cherish and remember!