Report of the illegal fishing in Zuari River Siridao to Odxel belt January 2019

Date: 01/02/2019 

No	Date	Time	Description of offenders	Fisheries Department	Coastal Police Station, Harbour	100 Police Response	Remarks
01	10/1/19	4.30 pm	8 trawlers	informed	informed		No action
02	14/1/19	8.00 am	10 trawlers	informed	informed		No action
03	14/1/19	6.00 pm	10 trawlers	informed	informed		No action
04	23/1/19	7.30 pm	2 trawlers	informed	informed		No action
05	24/1/19	4.00 pm	8 trawlers continued till 11.30 pm	informed	informed		No action
06	24/1/19	4.00 pm	1 mini purse seine boat	informed	informed		No action
07	25/1/19	5.30 am	10 trawlers	informed	informed		No action
08	25/1/19	4.15 pm	13 trawlers	informed	Phone not working	Informed.	No action
09	26/1/19	5.18 pm	12 trawlers	Delayed communication as phone was connected to fax.	Informed		Fisheries Patrol boat intercepted one trawler but allowed rest to escape.
10	27/1/19	6.00 am	12 trawlers	informed	informed		No Action
11	28/1/19	6.00 am	12 trawlers	informed	informed		No Action
12	29/1/19	6.00 am	12 trawlers	Informed	informed		No Action
13	30/1/19	6.00 am	14 trawlers	.	Coastal Police Boat sent for repairs		No Action
14	30/1/19	1.00 pm	14 trawlers carried on beyond 4.00 pm	Refused to send Patrol boat as there is no permission from Chandresh	Patrol boat broke		No action
15	31/1/19	7.00 am till late night	14 trawlers	Phone connected to Fax.	Police Pretended as if they did not hear.		No Action

Observations on state of Fisheries Department Control Room, Panjim

1.       Often land line no. 2425263 remains connected to Fax even early mornings when fishermen are calling to complain.

2.       If call is answered then response is given that Coastal Police Station at Harbour Vasco will be informed.

3.       Another response comes saying we cannot send patrol boat to catch trawlers without permission of Chandresh. Chandresh, an official of the fisheries department do not answer call on his mobile or calls back.

4.       In one instance Fisheries department boat went and caught one trawler and allowed the rest 11 to escape. Punishment given not known.

5.       Calls are answered but no action is taken.

6.       Written complaints and Press Release on illegal fishing filed by Bharat Mukti Morcha, Goa State Unit

Observations on state of Coastal Police Station at Harbour, Vasco

1.       Calls are answered but no action is taken.

2.       Calls answered and caller informed that Patrol boat has suffered break down.

3.       Picks up the call and pretends as if they cannot hear and keep the receiver down.

4.       When Patrol boat breaks there is no alternative arrangement for Patrolling. What is there is Terrorist attack when the Patrol boat under repairs?

Observations on state of Police response when called by dialing 100

1.       When called takes long time to understand the problem of illegal fishing by trawlers

2.       Takes long time to understand where Cacra, Nauxim and Odxel is located.

3.       Police travel in Jeep in landline and search the caller who is in the River fishing for guidance. Fishermen face risk of net entanglement when police calls back in the River.

4.       It looks like Police has no network with coastal police station at harbor.

Who has Powers to Act against illegal fishing?

1.       Officials of Department of Fisheries under the Goa, Daman and Diu Marine Fishing Regulation Act, 1980

2.       Officials Authorized by Department of Fisheries under the Goa, Daman and Diu Marine Fishing Regulation Act, 1980. Currently Police officers are authorized besides Block Development Officers and Mamlatdars.

3.       Executive Magistrate is authorized to act under sections 107 and 145 of Code of Criminal Procedure.

Caution

Illegal Fishing by trawlers in Zuari River currently is rampant. Role of Police as well as Department of Fisheries has failed. Situation may again degenerate into open clashes in the Zuari river between the fishermen who are opposing illegal fishing in Zuari river and trawlers carrying on illegal fishing if those responsible to act: Department of Fisheries, Police, Executive Magistrate, Block Development Officers and Mamlatdars. In order to restore collapsed of Law and Order in Zuari river you are requested to act as per the requirements of law to stop illegal fishing in Zuari river. 

Call to overhaul Goa Fisheries Department to meet twenty first century challenges

Bharat Mukti Morcha, Goa Unit calls for the complete overhauling of the Department of Fisheries to successfully respond to the enormous challenges faced by fishing community in Goa in this 21^st Century. Currently State Fisheries department is in terrible mess as evident from the way fishing communities has been put under pressure and harassment on the Zuari river coast.

Department of Fisheries has been terrible failure to stop daily illegal fishing – including night fishing - by dozens of trawlers in Zuari river within 5 kms from the coast. Department of Fisheries is in paralyzed state to deal with illegal purse seine fishing in Zuari river with zero enforcement. Result of all this has been complete breakdown of law and order situation in Zuari river leading to tensions and fights. Till date, no full time patrol vessel is introduced in Zuari river for the purpose of enforcement in spite of repeated requests no budgetary provisions are made for this purpose.

Department of Fisheries has also been silent in the face of draft Tourism Master Plan and Tourism Policy - 2018 that seeks to promote kind of tourism that will further push fishing communities and marine ecology towards deterioration. Promotion of Marinas and water sports envisaged in the policy are expected to spell disaster for fishing communities. Adamant manner in which Government is pushing  marina at Nauxim - - in spite of public opposition from 2010 - is objectionable particularly the bully role to push Goa State Pollution Control Board to initiate process for Public Hearing for Marina at Nauxim.

Corporate driven water sports that is being carried out from Hotel Grand Hyatt in Bambolim by Bombay based corporate Aqua sail in Zuari river is another disastrous activity from the fishing point of view. Bharat Mukti Morcha calls for immediate cancellation of all the permissions granted for water sports activities in Zuari and all other rivers of Goa as speed boats like Jetski are disrupting fishing activities by cutting of fishing nets and oil spills in water. Declaration of Goa’s six rivers as National Waterways must be revoked as dredging is detrimental for fishing activities.

Objections to mobile tower at Tonca-Kurdowada, Khandola, Marcela, Goa

Objection to Tourism master plan and tourism policy - 2018

With reference to Goa Tourism Master Pan and policy posted at the Goa Tourism Department website at the links below is at attempt by industry to take control of Goa's Politics and 

Economy through the cunning manner.

http://goatourism.gov.in/images/module_4.pdf

Goa Tourism Master plan provides the framework for implementation of the master plan that has a vision to make Goa the most preferred destination around the year for the high spending tourists in India by 2023 and World Class, international tourism destination by 2030.

Reading of the document reveals that the entire exercise is orchestrated by two organisations that seeks to take control of the State of Goa's tourism decision making by forming "Goa Tourism Board" as a statutory autonomous body that will make promote privatisation of Goa Tourism Development Corporation Assets and will have sort of supra status like that of Investment Promotion and Facilitation Board formed with Chief Minister as its Chairman.

It is proposed that Tourism Minister will be the Chairman of the Goa Tourism Board and industry has its trickster in place in post of Vice Chairman who will be nominated by the five industry representatives alone in the board. Out of these five members two are named 1. President/managing Committee member of Travel and Tourism Association of Goa 2. Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Trick that is hoped will get Goa's total tourism under Industry control as the provisions are well laid out to enact a conspiracy. In the absence of Minister of Tourism to chair the meeting, Vice-Chairman will do so. Where the Tourism Minister will be sent on the day of the meeting is best left for guessing. The point however is clear that Industry the the two named organisations is desperate to stage coup in Goa Tourism affairs.

And all this is done for what purpose? To satisfy the masters. And who are the masters? The rich of the world. And who are to be enslaved? People and Land, Rivers and Ethics. And projects these guys want to promote by centralising Goa tourism? Golf Courses, Casinos, Gaming and Marinas. Golf Courses were opposed in Goa from 1997 onward from Canaguinim-Betul, Amthane, Bambolim, Asvem, Morjim, Harmal, Tiracol and Vanxim. Industry Captains through Goa Tourism Board will get Department of Tourism to go for  Land Acquisition for these projects. Casinos and Gaming will be relocated to more suitable undisclosed location. It does not mention Zuari river for obvious reasons and will be upgraded. Gambling and Gaming are by their essence are morally objectionable enterprises irrespective amount of people employed or amount of revenue earned. Casinos has to be shut down and industry must be dismantled for it is easiest source of turning black money into white. 

We have not forgotten that after mischievous leasing of Zuari river public protests has not allowed to construct any of the two marinas either in Nauxim or in Sancoale coast from 2010. Yet Goa Tourism Board hopes to achieve this feat, perhaps by pushing one marina at a time, first the Nauxim one. Instead of getting the marinas in Zuari its better to scrap the marina to its abyss!

It is proposed that High Powered Monitoring Committee for Tourism will be dissolved and Goa Tourism Board will take its functions. This board will give permissions to all the tourism related events. What is left of Panchayats? Nothing! All the command activities of Goa Tourism Development Corporation to be handed over to private sector over the next 10 years as advised by Goa Tourism Board! 

What is stunning is that Goa Tourism Board plans to take over functions of even Environment Ministry of regeneration of beaches. But there is a catch there is also going to be Blue Flag Certification for beaches something that was opposed in case of Velsao Beach following protests by fishing communities and MLA Alina Saldanha. Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) are hardly known to do such things but they want to do such things and then permit shacks right the edge of the beach for special people. The people who carried on businesses on beaches has no representation on the Goa Tourism Board as they don't find favour with industry fathers trying to hijack  Goa's tourism for the filth rich of the world.

In fact its environmental commitment is dubious as it proposes to facilitate river cruises in in Goa's inland waterways. They no longer even call them rivers! Even identity of nature is sabotaged. Its waterways now after Central Government invasion of Goa's rivers turned into waterways. It agenda is in line with Sagarmala project of constructing more jetties on Goa's river banks.

The first sufferers in the master plan as per above mentioned plans are going to be fishing communities who are not even acknowledged to have been even existing anywhere in Goa! The second line of suffers are the people of Goa who cherish fish as part of their daily staple diet.

Bharat Mukti Morcha strongly oppose Tourism master Plan and Tourism Policy - 2018 and calls upon all sections of society not only to oppose by also to hold accountable all the members of Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) as well as Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) for all their past and present economic, social and environmental sins. 

Illegal mining transportation in Colomba

Reports from Colomba, Sanguem, Goa indicate that from 13/12/2018 at 2.30 pm illegal iron ore mining transportation is going on. Mining lease that is cancelled was in the name of Badrudding Mavani and operated by Radha Timblo whose name was given by Government of India to Supreme Court of India for possessing bank account in Swiss bank. The transportation of  ore is being carried on to Capxem, Sanvordem Jetty. Efforts of mining interest to start mining legal has flopped and they have resorted to starting the same illegally.

All the mining sites has to be shut down and possessions taken over so that these type of incidents of illegal mining transportation does not come up causing hard to ecology and economy alike.  

International Human Rights Day poised for Human Rights Violations in Goa's Zuari river

Harbour Coastal Security Police Station, Vasco

Phone: 0832-2521793

International Human Rights Day 2018 will witness latest attempt to criminalize dissent and protests on the banks of Zuari river. Two people Sanjay Pereira of Cacra village and Cosme Pires of Siridao village engage in fishing activities in Zuari river are called at the Coastal Security Police Station at Harbour Vasco at 10.30 am by PSI Therron D’Costa for investigation based on complaint filed by Gracious Coutinho of H.No. 35, Salkar Colony, Vaddem, Vasco. Case Cr. No. 01/2018 has been registered against both them under sections 143, 147, 148, 323, 341,384, 506 (ii) r/w 149. These two are charged with boarding the boat of Gracious Coutinho and his two colleagues Kevin Barretto and Rocha Barreto with deadly weapons and taking over the boat at 10.55 hours from Zuari river off Chicalim Coast near Chicalim Light House, then taken the boats to Siridao coast and demanded cash of Rs.50,000/- to release the canoes and labourers.

Having followed up the Zuari river conflicts closely for the past four years and verifying ground reality my observations are as under:

1.       Neither Cosme Pires nor Sanjay Pereira was in the river Zuari to commit the offenses as charged in a complaint.

2.       Three boats claimed to have brought to the shores of Siridao in a complaint were using purse seine fishing nets banned for use within 5 kms from the shore and in rivers.

3.       There are number of earlier incidents of this type wherein canoes using purse seine fishing nets and trawlers has been captured and brought the shore by several local people. Trawlers as well as purse seine fishing nets used by canoes are illegal ab initio in Zuari river.

4.       In none of these incidents at River local people are known to have used deadly weapons.

5.       Then power to capture fishing boats indulging in illegal fishing is with Goa fisheries department and power stop illegal fishing is vested with Coastal Security Police. There are several complaints pending before both these authorities but due to the acts of omission they have refrained from acting in the cases of rampant illegal fishing in Zuari river.

6.       There has been several meetings to discuss the measures to stop illegal fishing in Zuari river but has been sabotaged in their implementation. For past several patrol boat of fisheries department as well as coastal security police vanished from their duties. No one knows as to where the staff of Fisheries department patrol boat is posted currently leaving the boat tied up at the Panjim Jetty.

7.       There is well co-ordinated, well oiled nexus of those indulging in illegal fishing and the police of coastal security observed in the past. Normal procedure followed was to keep the telephone line of Harbour Police Station, Vasco in defective state so that public is prevented from contacting and complaining. In fact I had question the police publicly at the meeting held on 11/10/2018 at 3.00 pm at Conference Hall of the Goa Directorate of Fisheries in the presence of several people including PSI Therron D’Costa who blew up his tempers at me saying that I have no right to question as it is a technical matter! Yes, technical faults are caused to encourage illegal fishing in Zuari.

8.       Frustration of local communities of non-responsiveness of these two authorities to effectively crackdown on illegal fishing has led to constant conflicts in Zuari river leading to the capture of boats indulging in illegal fishing.

9.       Why call letter of PSI Therron D’Costa failed to record that Gracious Coutinho and his two colleagues Kevin Barretto and Rocha Barretto themselves were indulging in illegal fishing?

10.   It is recorded in the minutes of the fisheries department meeting held on 11/10/2018 that despite written communication of invitation Old Cross Fishing Cannoe owners cooperative Society Ltd, Goencho Ramponkarancho Ekvott, Baina Ramponkar & Fishing Canoe Owners Society has not participated in the meeting called to discuss illegal fishing in Zuari. Some of these organizations has given written memorandum to Goa Fisheries Department to suspend fishing permission of those fishing boats indulging in illegal purse seine fishing and were caught in similar way by people in Malvan Coast in Maharashtra earlier this year.

11.   The intervention of Coastal Security Police at the 11/10/2018 meeting at Fisheries department made it clear that they operate based on dictates of politicians such as ex-revenue Minister of Goa Jose Philip D’Souza who is never known to have defended traditional fishermen of Zuari river.

12.   Article 51-A (g) of the Constitution of India makes it is clear that it is a duty of every citizen of India to protect rivers. Duty to protect of fidelity to river sustainability, Duty not to cause harm, Duty to defend river from being harmed and Duty to Restorative Justice. Zuari river has been plundered by purse seine fishing boats as well as trawlers for four years now.

13.   Sanjay Pereira and Cosme Pires are not film stars with glamour around but they are heroes who defend Ecology, uphold Environmental Ethics and no attempt criminalize their activities will be taken lightly. We will not be intellectually neutral. We have taken stand already against illegal fishing by purse seine boats as well trawler fishing in Zuari river; and now if the Coastal Security Police attempts to criminalize the legitimate concerns of livelihood issues and ecological sustainability of Zuari river, we will be failing in our duty if we do no criticize this evil.

14.   The damage that purse seine fishing does to the Zuari river has already been discussed and well recorded in the minutes of 11/10/2018 at Directorate of Fisheries where in PSI Therron D’Costa himself was present. St. Andre MLA Fransisco Silveira, Siridao Parish Priest Fr. Valeriano Vaz, Bharat Mukti Morcha Goa State President Maggie Silveira explanations has been recorded in minutes. “Fr. Valeriano Vaz, Parish Priest of Siridao explained as to how the livelihood of the fishing community of Siridao has been affected. He further explained that this community being uneducated  is very much dependent on traditional fishing for their livelihood. He explained that due to purse seining fishing done by canoes in the jurisdiction of traditional fishermen, the later is left without catch due to over exploitation  of resources by canoes using purse seine net.”

15.   “A Fishermen informed that the canoes are highly equipped with fish finder instruments, double engines, generators etc to get a good catch. Due to over exploitation of the fish there will be no fish breeding a the finest life is destroyed. Their concern is that if this continued, in the years to come they will be left with no fish. He informed about the goondaism that have taken place few days ago and the disturbance caused by canoe owners for not allowing them to do illegal fishing” reads minutes further.

What this police complaint has actually attempted is to suppress dissent and open up Zuari river for continues exploitation besides destroy livelihood of  fishing communities practicing sustainable fishing practices like Gill net fishing etc. Awful role place is playing at present. Both Sanjay Pereira as well as Cosme Pires are DEEP members and international network will get activated in case of any untoward legal or illegal action against any of them.

Sebastiao Rodrigues,

Member, Dialogue, Empathic Engagement and Peace building (DEEP)