VASCO: The Goenchea Ramponkarancho Ekvott (GRE), along with all the presidents of fishermen unions of Goa (FUG) on Tuesday have requested the new Fisheries Minister Vinod Palekar to fulfill long pending issues like regularization of fishermen houses in CRZ, formulate district level Committees, notify the fishing villages and protect turtle nesting beaches. The fishermen union also submitted a memorandum to the newly inducted Fisheries Minister enlisting 26 long pending demands in presence of Deputy Speaker Michael Lobo and MLA and Minister Jayesh Salgaonkar on Tuesday. The unions welcomed the decision of the fisheries department to crack down on illegal LED light fishing in Goa,
Speaking to reporters, GRE General Secretary Olencio Simoes said they had appraised the fisheries minister about all pending issues which the former BJP government failed to fulfill. He said demands like the regularization of fishermen houses in CRZ area, formation of district level committees, notifying fishing villages in Goa, giving protection to the turtle nesting beaches like Mandrem, Morjim, Galgiba and Agonda which has been designated as turtle nesting sites and protected under CRZ had been given. In addition they also sought the regularisation of 68 fishermen houses at Katem baina hand they hoped all their demands would be fulfilled.
“Besides our long pending demands we have also demanded the scraping of unsustainable dredging of inland waterways in six rivers of Goa that is iver Mandovi, Zuari, Chapora, Mapusa, Cumbharjua and Sal as 47 fishing villages and several thousand fishermen and their families are dependent on the river and their livelihood would be effected. Similarly we have demanded the dredging and deepening of navigational channel proposed by Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) should be scrapped and de-notify MPT jurisdiction over inland and coastal areas (water) as MPT is resorting to all kind of illegal activities and claiming the 52km of coastline belongs to them” Simoes said.
Agnelo Rodrigues President of GRE, said “Firstly I want to congratulate the fisheries minister for taking the decision to crack down on illegal LED light fishing in Goa as this was a long pending demand. We have also demanded that the fisheries department not work under any pressure and should take strong action against all those boat owners using LED lights just for short term gains by over-exploiting the natural resources of Goa. After meeting the fisheries minister we are confident that this government will protect the interest of Goem, Goemkar, Goemkarponn” Rodrigues said.
