Joe D’Souza
Goan ecosystem and environment is rich in bio reserves – let us understand our Western Ghats is a World Heritage Site.
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
My research infers that River Mandovi from 1974 to 2000 was a treasure trove of genetic biodiversity, a breeding haven of natural nutrients. Goa, where arrays of fish species like tamosho are rich in proteins and Vitamin D, crabs, clams, oysters, prawns have kept Goans are spicy resources of organic healthy living.
There was very little sewage or industrial effluents contaminating our Mandovi waters. My laboratory studies always showed Mother Mandovi did not have coliform and other pathogenic microorganisms. My research students were regularly reporting about our river free of pathogenic bacteria. There was no eutrophication and suffocation of by pseudomonas, salmonella vibrios. The oxygen level in the river was above 8mg per litre and the river was a biological sink to care of nitrous oxides, sulphur and toxic heavy metals. Importantly, there was no fear of seawater rise and the adverse effects of zoonotic diseases and degradation of our rich biodiversity.
Our fish production always touched one lakh tonnes and the marine food chain was excellent at all trophic levels. Churchill Alemao and Wilfred D’Souza always ensured fishing and fisheries sustain Goan economy and livelihoods.
Over forty varieties of fish studied at Goa University revealed that by keeping Mandovi clean, our marine biodiversity and ecosystem bloomed and blossomed.
The only minor problem of fish diseases in the nineties that I had to report to Wilfred D’Souza, our then Fisheries Minister, was due to chemical fertilisers being used during Monsoon paddy cultivation, which entered the river by the sluice gates and caused temporary fish mortalities. We published that the bacteria attacking the skin, eyes, mouth, fins and tails of fish. The mullets and the butterfish were the most affected.
The then Goa Government listened to our advices at Goa University and ensured that fish and shrimp farmers do not discharge water effluents during commercial fish production. Sadly for the last two decades, governments of Goa have plundered and destroyed Mandovi waters beyond repair. The Captain of Ports has allowed fisheries to die with the fisheries building being handed to the destructive casino lobby.
Today rock fish and the rich marine biodiversity are vanished. We have allowed gambling casinos to ruin our genetic wealth. Today pollution control board and the Goa Coastal Zone Management authorities have allowed the river to be polluted. The coliform count of E. Coli has reached dangerous levels with biological oxygen demand and sewage pollution by casinos destroying our river and fisheries in Goa, is a dead issue for Goa for eternity.
Let us unite to save Mandovi for the future generation by ushering a Revolution.
