COLVA: The move to charge for cars and scooters to be parked at Colva beach seems to have completely bypassed a basic everyday reality i.e. the beach is used by fisher folk to carry out their fishing activity, including transporting freshly caught fish to the market.
Santana Rodrigues, a dedicated fisherwoman, recently shared insights into the challenges faced by the fishing community during their activities.
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She pointed out that fishing operations often involve the temporary parking of vehicles on the beach, as they wait to transport freshly caught fish from the shore to the market.
“We will not allow the government to go ahead with implementing the pay parking at Colva beach. Will come on the street if the need arises,” she warned.
Santana emphasized the significance of efficient transportation in ensuring the prompt delivery of the catch, highlighting the role of these temporary parking arrangements.
“The government should have marked certain areas only for the sake of fishing activities so that the large fishing community carried their activities unhindered. However, the government is now acting against the interests of locals and the fishing community,” said Anthony Fernandes, fisherman from Colva.
“Why is always the fishing community taken for granted at the time of making any decisions?” Fernandes asked further.
Speaking to O Heraldo, several fishermen demanded that they de-notify the notification issued by the government immediately.
They alleged that the government had failed to take their views into confidence before issuing the notification.
Recently, the government issued a notification about the implementation of the pay parking at the Colva beach, which the villages of Colva have strongly opposed.
