Team Herald
MARGAO: Goenchea Ramponkarancho Ekvott (GRE) has opposed the proposal of setting up a floating jetty at Bogmalo beach.
GRE, who represent the traditional fishermen and Bogmalo panch members have expressed their opposition to the jetty, which they say is coming in their traditional fishing area along the Bogmalo-Hollant- Velsao-Cansaulim coastal belt.
While these two groups had attended a hearing at the district collectorate on the same issue, other authorities have also been informed of their opposition to the jetty.
GRE general secretary Olencio Simoes added that the authorities and private stakeholders appear to believe that the seas and rivers belong to them, which is not true and that the beach carrying capacity report had also demarcated Bogmalo beach as a fishing area.
“Fishermen from Bogmalo and surrounding villages have been opposing a floating jetty at Bogmalo for over a decade now. Former Environment Minister Alina Saldanha had also opposed the floating jetty. We will never allow a jetty to become a reality at Bogmalo. The jetty will spell death knell for fishing activities and the fishermen. The Coco beach is a glaring instance of the shellfish becoming extinct because of tourism activities,” said Olencio.
GRE also demanded that the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) should immediately revoke the permissions and that the panchayat minister, Mauvin Godinho, who is also the local MLA should respect the sentiments of the fishermen and scrap the floating jetty proposal.
GRE President Agnelo Rodrigues reiterated that Bogmalo is a fishing village and not a tourism area. “Our fishermen used to ferry the tourists to the nearby islands but now this floating jetty proposal has come up, which will spell doom for the fishermen. The government is trying to bulldoze with the floating jetty proposal, without realizing that the jetty will displace the fishermen eking out a living on fishing activities”, said Rodrigues.
