Pending fishing subsidies for the year 2023.

30.04.2025

To,

Director of Fisheries,

Panaji, Goa

Subject: Pending fishing subsidies for the year 2023

Madam,

We already had two rounds of meeting with the staff of your office over the past two months to sort out the above matter. And we have failed to convince the Goa Government through your office to disburse all the fishing subsidies pending for the year 2023.

It has come to our attention that 40 Scheduled Tribes (ST) fishers from Tiswadi block are deprived of their rightful fishing subsidies. After inquiries into your office we were told that these subsidy files were sent to Chief Minister's office and it is there where these files were blocked. 

This action of Goa Chief Minister's office proves that it shares terrible bias against fishing communities and indulged in sabotage by blocking subsidies files and allowing funds to return to central government. 

We are deeply pained at the conduct of the Chief Minister's office and express our disapproval to Chief Minister's office involved deliberately in sabotage against Goa's fishing communities.

We call upon your office to continuesly follow up this matter and we will follow-up with your office being directly responsible to fishing communities of Goa.

Thanking You.

Yours Truly,

Shaila D'mello 

President,

AGSSRFU 

Laximan Mangueshkar, 

Secretary,

AGSSRFU

Objections to extend subsidy net to high capacity Outboard Motors and large sized cannoes in Goa

All Goa Small Scale Responsible Fisheries Union

Date 17th September 2024

To,

The Director,

Directorate of Fisheries, 

Panaji, Goa

Sub: Objections to extend subsidy net to high capacity Outboard Motors and large sized cannoes in Goa

Madam,

It has come to our attention that your office through Superitendent of Fisheries is actively considering inclusion of canoes upto 42 ft and Out board motor upto 25 HP for Fisheries subsidies.

We attended to this on our Union agenda meeting held on 15th September 2024 and decided that upper limit for canoes should be capped at 38 ft and Outboard motor should be restricted to 08 HP due to sustainability factor. Outboard motors above 08 HP creates deafening sound that scare fish away. The that damage inflicted by cannoe used for illegal purse seine purpose is big and bigger cannoes will facilitate bigger fish catch in illegal operations that department of Fisheries hasn't been able to stop and in ushered in an era of fish famine in waters of rivers and Arabian Sea. Hence we oppose the department proposal as mentioned above for canoes and Outboard motors.

Thanking You,

Yours sincerely, 

Shaila D'mello

President

Laximan Mangueshkar

Secretary

Fishing manifesto for Parliamentary Elections 2024

Hello Candidates for Lok Sabha Elections from Goa!

Greetings from All Goa Small Scale Responsible Fisheries Union!

We wish to draw your attention to few points that need your attention as a candidate for forthcoming Lok Sabha elections from Goa:

1. National Waterways

All the six rivers (Chapora, Mapusa, Mandovi, Cumbharjua, Zuari, Sal) be excluded from National Waterways Act 2017. This will make rivers legally safe for fishing.

2. Marinas

Two proposals (Nauxim and Sancoale) for Marinas in Zuari river be canceled. Leased deeds for both be canceled. This will ensure unhindered fishing in Zuari river.

3. MPA

Mormugao Port Authority (MPA) be excluded from the scope of Major Ports Authorities Act. This will be helpful to make fishing safe for small scale fishers.

4. Blue Flag

Blue Flag certification proposal for Siridao and other beaches in Goa be revoked. Beaches are declared as fish landing centre and This should not be disrupted by providing exclusive and reserved access to any beach in Goa.

5. Subsidies

Fishing communities fuel subsidies and other facilities be increased for small scale fishers.

6. Plastics

Rivers of Goa be cleaned up of plastic garbage by stopping manufacture of plastics.

7. Mining

Mining in Goa has led to siltation of rivers. It has negatively affected livelihoods of small scale fishing communities. Recent scientific study by Scientists from NIO etc has published evidence to this effect. This needs be taken on board as Indian government is moving ahead to resume mining in Goa.

We request you to keep above seven points on your agenda I times ahead.

We will be happy to extend any further inputs on the above points should you decide to contact us back.

Thanking  you,

Yours sincerely

Shaila D'mello

President

Laximan Mangueshkar

Secretary

Need to address delays in canoe fishing subsidies

29 January 2024

To,

Shri Nilkhant Halarnkar

Minister of Fisheries,

Government of Goa,

Porvorim, Goa

Subject: Petrol subsidy for fishing cannoes...regarding

Sir,

All Goa Small Scale Responsible Fisheries Union (AGSSRFU) calls your urhent attention to the issues regarding Petrol subsidy as under:

1. Petrol subsidy for fishing cannoes given through department of fisheries is facing serious delays. Subsidy for the year 2022 is still not distributed even though we are in 2024. There is delay of two years. You are urged to direct Fisheries department to clear backlog of petrol subsidies for the years 2022 and 2023 with immidiate effect.

2. Subsidy amount for petrol that was Rs.50,000/- per cannoe was slashed down to Rs.30,000/- during Covid-19 pandemic even though that was difficult time for fishing communities. And this amount is still at the same level even tough Covid-19 pandemic ended many years ago. You are requested to increase the petrol subsidy amount from current Rs.30,000/- to Rs.75,000/-

Kindly oblige.

Thanking you,

Yours sincerely 

Shaila D'mello

President

Laximan Mangueshkar

Secretary

Do Not Compromise on Subsidies for Small Scale Fisheries

 On the Eve of the WTO Negotiations in Geneva

National Platform for Small Scale Fish Workers (NPSSFW) 

Implores the Government

Do Not Compromise on Subsidies for Small Scale Fisheries

Stop Subsidising Overfishing & Destructive Fishing

The biennial meeting of trade ministers from all 164 member nations is going to take place between June 12 and 15 in Geneva. The ministerial negotiations are to finalise the fate of fisheries subsidies provided by the governments of the world in their respective countries including in India.

NPSSFW strongly holds that subsidies provided to the small scale fisheries (SSF) are instrumental to protect sustainable fishing, large employment, equitable distribution of income, food security and nutritional status of our society. With more than 50% of work force being women the small scale fisheries sector has also to be supported for gender balance in employment. As such the provision of subsidies for SSF is non-negotiable.

NPSSFW further holds that subsidies for Small Scale Fisheries in the developing countries is beyond the mandate of WTO since these subsidies pertain more to management of fisheries than to international trade.

NPSSFW also holds that the traditional livelihood rights of small scale fisher people cannot be denied on the pretext of IUU (illegal, unregulated and unreported) fishing as the government has consistently failed to provide a legal, regulatory and reporting framework to protect the traditional and livelihood rights in small scale fisheries.

At the same time NPSSFW urges the government to stop all subsidies to the large scale mechanized fishing sector which is responsible for overfishing and destructive fishing. Subsidising trawlers and mechanized boats means subsidizing overfishing and destructive fishing. This should be stopped.

NPSSFW has been very upset to know that some persons have been handpicked by the government and taken to Geneva as non-government delegates from the fisheries sector. There has been a complete lack of transparency on the part of the government in this. The small scale fish workers’ organizations like NPSSFW were not even informed about the constitution of such a non-government delegation. The Government should refrain from such practices in future.

NPSSFW has already communicated its concerns and objections to Shri Piyush Goyel, Minister of Commerce & Industries, Government of India under Memo No. NPSSFW/Conv/19/22  dt.June 11, 2022.

Increase subsidies for Fishing cannoes

 ALL GOA SMALL SCALE RESPONSIBLE FISHERIES UNION  

190, Nauxi, Bambolim, Tiswadi, Goa. 403 206

______________________________________

Date: 22/10/2021

To,  

The Minister of Fisheries,

Government of Goa,

Secretariat,

Porvorim, 

Goa

Subject:  Regarding increase in Petrol Subsidies for Fishing cannoes 

Sir,  

Due to rising inflation and increasing cost of living we are constrained to address this petition for your urgent attention with following request: 

1. Petrol subsidies for canoes in Goa be increased from Rs. 51,000/- to Rs. 65,000/-. 

Awaiting your urgent action to increase above cited Petrol Subsidy. 

Thanking you,  

Yours sincerely,

Shaila D'mello

President 

Laximan Mangueshkar,

Secretary

Copy to:  

1. Director of Fisheries, Panjim, Goa 

2. Convenor, National Platform for Small Scale  Fish Workers