Team Herald
MARGAO: A delegation of traditional fishermen, along with Goenchea Ramponkarancho Ekvott (GRE), submitted a seven-page memorandum to the Chief Minister, Fisheries Minister and RDA Minister with a demand to immediately scrap the projects mentioned in it, failing which they will take to the streets. They have expressed hope that Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar will consider their request and protect the interest of poor traditional fishermen. Parsekar has promised to look into their issues and help them.
The delegation consisted of Agnelo Rodrigues, GRE president; Olencio Simoes, joint general secretary of GRE and secretary of the National Fishworkers Forum; Custodio D’Souza, president of the Old Cross Canoe Association Owners Cooperative Society Ltd; and the presidents of the Baina Ramponkar and Fishing Canoe Owners Society and Desterro Fishermen’s Association.
They placed eight demands before the ministers, which revolve around projects from the Centre, Mormugao Port Trust (MPT). Besides scrapping of the projects, they want the state govt to deliver on its promises made to them. The first demand is to scrap the inland waterways project, which involves six rivers of Goa: Mandovi, Zuari, Chapora, Mapusa, Cumbarjua and Sal. The second is to stop the proposed marinas at Sancoale and Nauxim-Bambolim. They also demanded scrapping of the seaplane project of the Union Shipping Ministry. Another Central govt related demand pertaining to MPT is the halting of MPT’s dredging proposal and for denotification of MPT’s jurisdiction over inland and coastal areas (water).
With regards to the State government, the fishermen have called for scrapping of the mechanized beach cleaning machines of the Tourism Department. They have also demanded the immediate implementation of the CRZ notification 2011 and constitution of district-level committees to legalize all traditional houses and demarcate fishing villages. On that note, they have also called for compensation for the residents of the 10 houses that had been illegally demolished by the government. They also want legalization of the 53 fishermen houses at Baina, as promised by the BJP.
“This is to bring to your notice that GRE, on behalf of the 80,000 small and traditional fishing communities of Goa, who are the residents of the coasts, are involved in the ancestrally inherited fishing occupation for centuries, but due to government projects, our future is at stake. The anti-fishermen projects are proposed by the government and they will destroy our livelihoods and marine ecology of our State,” said Simoes.
