Delibrate obstructions to Fishing at Candolim and Baga beaches

 

There looks to be deliberate obstructions created for the fishing activities at Candolim and Baga beaches. Today 30 December 2025 afternoon it was observed that there was clandestine moves from the moving vessels in Arabian Sea to come closer to the shore and erect metal stages above water. Both the sites are daily livelihood earning fishing venues specially for small scale fishing communities. 

This is one more addition to series of incidents threatening smooth functioning of fishing activities specially those who depend upon their livelihood on fishing. Coastal shores and waters are under tourism aggression in Goa.

In Zuari river there is constant daily parasailing from Dona Paula to even reaching to Nauxim coast crossing over Odxel and Cacra shores. In Anjuna there is constant sound pollution and artificial lighting at night (ALAN) with coloured beaming lights in the sky. 

In Chapora river there increased incidents of Tourism speed boats wrecking havoc to fishing communities. Sand mining is rampant at Oxel coast of the river Chapora. 

Regarding mercenary action to create obstructions for Fisheries it is most likely that high ranking officials and people at Ministerial level are involved in this conspiracy. 

Calls to Fisheries department control room dud not advise anything beyond filing of letter objections with authorities.

Real estate lobby coupled with Tourism syndicate is driving Goa's fishing activities into history. It's now time to retaliate and create history. Enough is Enough!

Police complaint against parasailing disrupting fishing in Zuari

26 December 2025

To,

Police Inspector, 

Panaji Police Station,

Panaji, Goa

Subject: Parasailing boats disrupting fishing activities in Zuari river

Sir, 

Kindly initiate action against parasailing boats conducting their operations during day time. Their sailing activitoes goes on from Dona Paula to Nauxim village as of 25 December 2025.

Their movements drives away fish from Zuari river affecting livelihood of hundreds of fisher families. 

All Goa Small Scale Responsible Fisheries Union (AGSSRFU) have already informed through the letters about this dangerous emerging situation to the Directors at Tourism and Fisheries Departments. 

Further AGSSRFU have also communicated this verbally to Deputy directors of Fisheries (C. Velip and Dr.S. Majumdar) during our meeting on 24 December 2025.

In this context we request you to take steps to identify the culprits, book them under relevant sections of law and ensure continuation fishing activities in Zuari river without any disruptions and disturbances due to parasailing activities.

We await your quick action.

Thanking you.

Yours sincerely, 

Shaila D'mello 

President

Laximan Mangueshkar

Secretary

Copy to:

1. Police Inspector, Agaçaim Police Station, Agaçaim, Goa

2. In-charge, Taleigao Police Station, Taleigao, Goa

3. Director of Tourism, Panaji, Goa 

4. Director of Fisheries, Panaji, Goa

5. Shri Viresh Borkar, MLA, St. Andre Constituency

6. Smt. Jennifer Montserrat, MLA, Taleigao Constituency

Get the abandoned fishing net away from Campal beach!

15 December 2025

To,

Mayor,

Corporation of the City of Panjim,

Panaji, Goa

To,

Commisioner,

Corporation of the City of Panjim,

Panaji, Goa

To,

Member Secretary,

Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA), Panaji, Goa

To,

Collector (North Goa),

Panaji, Goa

Subject: Request for appointment to discuss possibilities of collaboration on issues of clearing decades old huge abandoned fishing net at Campal beach sands

Sir/Madam,

All Goa Small Scale Responsible Fisheries Union (AGSSRFU) is concerned about huge decade old abandoned purse seine fishing net at Campal beach, Panjim. Fishing net which is composed of non-biodegradable textures was abandoned few decades ago on the beach. The fishing net remained buried in sand for many years till stoned structure was constructed to create concrete space on beach. This development led to erosion of coastal sand of Campal beach making fishing net visible.

Recently on 16 October 2025 during joint meeting between AGSSRFU, Coastal Security Police and Director of Fisheries this issue was discussed and recorded in meeting minutes that the said fishing net be moved away and disposed off. AGSSRFU cannot do it alone as it requires use of machinery to reclaim fishing net buried deeper at some depth.

We write to seek your collaboration to assist us to get this done as the task would require digging on beach to get the fishing net out of sand. 

We would be glad to hear from you.

Counting on your support.

Thanking you.

Yours sincerely, 

Shaila D'mello 

President

Laximan Mangueshkar 

Secretary

Copy to:

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

2. Director, One Earth Foundation, Panjim, Goa

Protect Mandovi river Shell fish and Oyster breeding spaces!

15 December 2025

To,

Director of Fisheries, 

Government of Goa, 

Panaji, Goa

Subject: Protection for Shell fish and Oyster breeding spaces in Mandovi river 

Madam/Sir,

All Goa Small Scale Responsible Fisheries (AGSSRFU) request you the following:

1. To create special protection for Shell fish breeding spaces in Mandovi river from Parshuram Bhoomi to Panjim Gymkhana, Campal.

2. To create special protection for Oyster breeding spaces in Mandovi river near Diwar to Ribandar from the localities Voddli Manos to Kaukulo.

Above two are valuable spaces and Kindly ensure that no casino vessels or water sports or PNJ boats are allowed to be introduced there.

We count on your Responsible action.

Thanking you.

Yours sincerely,

Shaila D'mello 

President

Laximan Mangueshkar 

Secretary 

Copy to:

1. Captain of Ports, Government of Goa, Panaji, Goa

2. Member Secretary, Goa Bio-diversity Board, Saligao, Bardez, Goa

Illegal Sand mining in Mandovi river

15 December 2025

To,

Director of Mines and Geology,

Government of Goa,

Panaji, Goa

To,

Captain of Ports,

Government of Goa,

Panaji, Goa

To,

Collector (North Goa),

Panaji, Tiswadi, 

Goa

To

Director of Fisheries, 

Government of Goa,

Panaji, Goa

Subject: Sand mining in Mandovi river near Divar and Ribandar

Sir,

All Goa Small Scale Responsible Fisheries Union (AGSSRFU) draws your urgent attention to continues daily sand mining in Mandovi river at the coast of Diwar Island (Vitojem) and Ribandar coast. There are nearly 25 canoes who are engaged in daily night illegal sand mining activities.

We request your office to kindly act against these illegalities with seriousness.

Sand mining that goes on at night has already created huge damage to marine ecology and prospects of Fisheries has been pushed to into setback, livelihoods shattered. Ferry boats in Mandovi is used to transport illegally extracted sand and stocked on land on various islands in Mandovi.

AGSSRFU has membership amongst fishers in Mandovi river who are directly and negatively affected by this illegal sand mining on riverbed.

We expect you to act promptly. 

Thanking you.

Yours sincerely, 

Shaila D'mello 

President

Laximan Mangueshkar 

Secretary

Call for Police patrolling at Vainginim and Odxel beaches

13 December 2025

To,

The Police Inspector, 

Panaji Police Station,

Panaji, Goa

To,

In-charge,

Police sub-station,

Taleigao, Tiswadi, Goa

Subject: Request for Police Patrolling at Vaiginim and Odxel beaches

Sirs,

There are constant instances of tourists creating nuisance by drinking and smashing liqour bottles at Vaiginim Beach thereby creating dangerous situations for fishermen on the beach working for their livelihoods. Few of these fishermen are members of All Goa Small Scale Responsible Fisheries Union (AGSSRFU) and we call upon you to act.

Secondly we also draw your attention to increasing frequenting of students at Odxel beach and smoking ganja and other narcotic substances. This is indeed very bad occurrence for the locality inhabitated by fishers etc and we call upon Police to act on this. 

Most often the above described situations occur during night time.

We expect your co-operation.

Thank you.

Yours Truly,

Shaila D'mello

President

Laximan Mangueshkar 

Secretary 

Copy to:

1. Deputy Superitendent of Police, Police Headquarters, Panaji, Goa

Call for restoration of Fisheries department NOC for water sports

15 December 2025

To,

Hon'ble Chief Minister,

Government of Goa, 

Porvorim, Goa

To,

Minister of Tourism, 

Government of Goa, 

Porvorim, Goa

To,

Minister of Fisheries, 

Government of Goa, 

Porvorim, Goa

To,

Director of Tourism, 

Government of Goa, 

Panaji, Goa

Subject: Restoration of NOC from Fisheries department for Water sports activities in Goa

Respected Sirs,

There is increasing prevalence of water sports in fishing water spaces in Goa in rivers, estuaries and Arabian Sea fronts in Goa. It is done to cater to Tourism promotion with detrimental effects to fishing activities in many places in Goa. Mandovi, Zuari, Sal rivers are some of the sites where the disruption of fishing due to water sports is acute and objected by local fishing communities.

Past ten days there is continue parasailing in Zuari river starting at 10.00 am going till late in the evening beyond 08.00 pm. Two fishers Shekar Kuttikar and Rohidas Kuttikar suffered losses as the parasailing boats cut off their fishing nets.

On 13 December 2025 four PNJ boats from Sinquerim were stationed in Zuari river waters off Odxel beach for nearly five hours with passengers on board. Two of these boats had registration numbers printed on them as PNJ 980 and PNJ 924. PNJ boats has already ruined fishery in Sinquerim-Nerul river and now destined to ruin Zuari river fishery if you remain without action against them.

In view of this All Goa Small Scale Responsible Fisheries Union (AGSSRFU) request to re-introduce provisions of law requiring permission of Fishers Department before sanctioning,  permitting and renewal of water sports activities in the State of Goa. Goa's small scale fisheries needs your support and we count on you for decisive steps on this. 

Kindly initiate immidiate action and notify the undersigned.

Thinking you.

Yours Truly, 

Shaila D'mello

President

Laximan Mangueshkar 

Secretary

Copy to:

1. Smt. Jennifer Montserrat, MLA, Talegao Constituency, Talegao

2. Shri. Viresh Borkar, MLA, St. Andre Constituency

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

Against hike in fishing cannoe licence fee by Captain of Ports

15 December 2025

To,

Captain of Ports,

Government of Goa,

Panaji, Goa

Subject: Objections to collection of Rs.1000/- as canoe inspection fee during annual renewal before December end

Sir,

It has come as rude shock to us at All Goa Small Scale Responsible Fisheries Union (AGSSRFU) that your office is collecting Rs.1000/- as canoe inspection of non-mechanised crafts and Rs.500/- as its licence fee together. Our investigations on this has revealed the following:-

1. It is for the first time in history of Captain of Ports in Goa that inspection fees are collected during annual renewal of licence. In the past Inspection fees were collected just once in life of canoe: during the time of fresh registration of canoes at Captain of Ports. Annual renewal payments included only licence fees which is currently Rs.500/-.

2. We are informed that Government passed the law to create this additional financial burden on small scale fishers in December 2019 but was not enforced for six years. We checked out the authenticity of such claims but failed to note any mention of inspection of canoe fees during annual renewal of licence.

3. There are several instances wherein the officers from Captain of Ports office has collected inspection of canoes fees but have never went on ground to inspect concerned canoes for which fees are collected for.

4. Renewal procedure at the Captain of Ports is dreadful lasting over a month, sometimes several months. Individual fishers are made to enter the chamber of Captain of Ports (COP) and search their files from hundreds of piled up files. This creates safety and security issue of documentation stored at COP office. This is very bad and needs to change. Small Scale Fishers must benefit from Ease of doing bussiness and single window quick processing of our applications. 

You are hereby requested to attend to these points and take following action:

1. Stop collecting Rs.1000/- as canoe inspection fees at the time of December end renewal time. If it's done according to 2019 amendment then keep it in abeyance (and eventually repeal) as it was done past six years due to its inherently fleecing consequences. Return the amounts of Rs.1000/- collected as canoe inspection fees back to the depositors.

2. Collect Canoe inspection fee only at the time of registration of fresh canoe and not annually as has been the practice hither to. Collect licence fee annually.

3. Ensure that officers entrusted with inspection of canoes actually do their job and know ground situation. Right now COP officers operate only on paper without any level information about canoes thereby short-circuiting entire process for the sake of promoting corruption.

4. Streamline registration and renewal procedure at the office of COP to ensure that procedure is simple, quick and easy. Ensure the collection of fees takes place in COP office itself rather than pushing fishers into intimidatingly long ques at solo bank counter of COP choice in Panjim.

5. Ensure that documents of registrations and renewal are handled by competent COP officers rather than fishers from all over Goa entering chamber of COP.

We expect your co-operation to act on this quickly.

Thanking you.

Yours sincerely, 

Shaila D'mello 

President 

Laximan Mangueshkar 

Secretary

Against fishing insurance compulsions

15 December 2025

To,

Director of Fisheries, 

Government of Goa, 

Panaji, Goa

Subject: Objections against compulsion to get private cannoe and labour insurance and subtle pressure to sign Undertaking ultra virus of Constitution of India 

Madam/Sir,

All Goa Small Scale Responsible Fisheries Union (AGSSRFU) expresses deep disappointment at the introduction of UNDERTAKING form to be filled by fishers of Goa on insurance without any reference to provision of law for its introduction, source and legal origin. The said form seeks to deny any legal remedy to the fishers in case of any accident, loss, theft, fire, damage or any unforeseen incident. 

The said Undertakihg seeks to deprive fishers from any legitimate claims of compensation, financial assistance, insurance benefit, relief, or subsidy. The Undertaking further seeks to push all the liabilities, penalties, compensation and legal consequences on fishers in the eventuality of any case of fishing canoes causing damage, injury, accident, or loss to any person, property, or environment.

The Undertaking seeks to absolve Fisheries department of any responsibility from compensation, claim, or legal liability connected with canoes.

The most dangerous clause introduced in the said Undertakjng is that Fishers shall not approach any Court of Law, Tribunal, or Government Authority in future for claiming any compensation or relief in respect of loss and damage to fisher canoe while it remains uninsured. This clause is ultra vires of the Constitution of India Article 14 Right to Equality before law. Goa Fisheries Department cannot make fishers sign any Undertakings which violate Fundamental Rights guaranteed under the Constitution of India and make them lose dignity.

Fisheries laws and rules in force in Goa does not specify that fishers should enroll for private insurance. There is already Corpus fund deductions which are meant to be used for providing financial back up during the instances of eventualities of fire, accidents and other type of damages and losses mentioned above. The management of corpus funds is totally corrupt to the detriment of small scale fishers and lopsided in favour of mechanised fishers as revealed from the track record of its functioning with cabinet decisions overriding fisheries department corpus funds management system.

Fisheries department must revive its existing Accidental scheme which is suitable Small Scale Fishers. 

Private insurance proposed for canoes and labour at the time when fishing fuel subsidies are slashed to Rs.30,000/- from Rs.50,000/- during Covid-19 period is extremely burdensome on fishers. Fishers however will be able to abide with insurance demands if Goa Government increases fuel subsidies to Rs.75,000/- as proposed by AGSSFU. As things stand today system of administration of canoe insurance is embedded in prevailing eco-system of corruption which refuses to take identities of laborers on record to uphold its fleecing intents.

You are requested to act accordingly by:

1. Making functioning of Corpus Fund transparent

2. Reviving Fisheries department Accident Insurance Scheme

3. Stop pressuring fishers to opt for private insurance

4. Withdraw controversial UNDERTAKING forms distributed from the office of Fisheries Department 

5. Increase Canoe Fuel subsidy to Rs.75,000/- 

6. Involve Small Scale Fisher organisations in Goa in decision making rather than imposing your decisions like this one on insurance.

We expect your co-operation.

Yours Truly,

Shaila D'mello 

President

AGSSRFU

Laximan Mangueshkar 

Secretary

AGSSRFU

Honnavar locals petitions on marauding trucks threats in Kasarkod

To,

The Panchayat Development Officer

Kasarkod Gram Panchayat,

Honnavar

Subject: Regarding the severe danger caused to Tonka residents and fishermen due to the continuous heavy-vehicle movement belonging to Honnvara Port Private Limited through our residential area

Respected Sir/Madam,

We, the residents of Kasarkod–Tonka, bring to your notice that for the past several days, Honnavara Port Private Limited has been moving very large heavy vehicles (weighing 100–150 tons) through our narrow residential road. Because of this continuous movement, we are facing the following serious problems:

1. Our houses have developed cracks.

2. The safety of our children, women, elderly people and fishermen is at high risk.

3. Due to the vibration and shaking caused by these heavy vehicles, there is constant fear and disturbance day and night.

4. The dust pollution created by these vehicles is severely affecting the health of our children and elders.

5. Due to the traffic of these heavy vehicles, the community movement and daily activities of the villagers have been badly affected.

6. The heavy-vehicle movement has also caused significant damage to the existing village road.

Because of all these issues, our entire Tonka community is experiencing stress, fear and hardship. We are extremely unhappy with this situation. Despite repeated verbal requests, the company has not taken any remedial action.

Therefore, we hereby request you to immediately do the following on behalf of the Tonka community:

Our demands:

1. Immediately stop the movement of heavy vehicles through Tonka residential roads and direct the company to use an alternative route.

2. Inspect and assess the damage caused to our houses and ensure that the company pays adequate compensation for the damage.

3. Provide a written assurance that such dangerous vehicle movement will not be allowed again in the future through the residential area.

4. Take necessary legal action against the company for violating safety and environmental norms.

We request you to take urgent action to ensure the safety, peace and wellbeing of our community.

With respect,

Tonka Community Residents

Date: 12/12/2025

Place: Tonka – Kasarkod

Copies to:

1. Hon’ble Tahsildar, Honnavar

2. Honnavar Police Station

3. Fisheries Department, Honnavar

4. Forest Department, Honnavar