MARGAO: Questions are being raised on why the turtle nesting sites report has not been incorporated in totality in the draft report of Coastal Zone Management Plan. Activists say that there are exclusions in the plan that will go for public hearing on Sunday and is an anti-people and anti-Goa plan. They say that the plan aims at opening these sensitive coastal areas to the hoteliers lobby.
Morjim, Ashwem, Agonda and Galgibag are the prime turtle nesting sites on the coastal Goa which are protected under the Wildlife Protection Act. Adv Anirudh Salkar explained that the exclusion of the turtle nesting sites report puzzles him and makes him wonder of its implications. He said the annexures of khazan lands, fishermen community, mangroves and others are found but the sea turtle nesting and habitat management annexure report is missing from the draft plan.
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Rumours are making rounds that the builder lobby is pushing to remove the turtle nesting sites from the coastal plan altogether and instead replace it with a beach shack management plan.
