'DEVELOPMENT' HAUNTS SALCETE FISHERMEN

MARGAO

Blue Flag certification for the Cavelossim beach, the proposed floating jetty off Benaulim beach and the lack of dedicated land to anchor boats and for fishing activities at Benaulim and Colva beach belt have all come to haunt the traditional fishermen inhabiting Salcete’s coast.

If the traditional fishermen from Cavelossim – the hub of starred resorts, see red in what they suspect moves to get Blue Flag certification for the beach belt, their counterparts in Benaulim opposed plans to set up a floating jetty off Benaulim beach. Benaulim fishermen have also eyed a portion of the Tourism Department’s land to anchor their vessels during monsoons and for fishing activities.

At the Colva beach, which is being developed under the central government’s “Development of Iconic Tourist Destination Scheme”, local fishermen insist on the protection of their fishing interests, be it to anchor boats, storing salt, dry fish in the Tourism department’s land.

When the authorities conducted cyclone preparedness for the traditional fishermen in the villages of Benaulim recently and Thursday at Colva at the initiative of local MLA Venzy Viegas, traditional fishermen from the two villages voice a common demand – dedicated land to anchor their fishing boats and land for fishing activities such as fish drying and storage of salt.

If the Benaulim fishermen made a strong case for dedicated space inside the Fisheries Department’s sprawling land admeasuring 55,000 square metres for the traditional fishermen, Colva fishermen on Thursday made a similar demand to the MLA and the authorities to dedicate space for fishing activities.

Says a Colva-based fisherman, Thomas Rodrigues: “Colva was known as a fishing village before it was developed for tourism. Mostly the fishermen's community is inhabiting the Fourth ward of Colva, close to the shore. But, the fishermen do not own any land of their own. We have been using the Tourism Department land for the fishing activities, including fish drying, storage of salt etc”.

He added: "The government should consider designating the Fourth ward of Colva as a fishing ward in the village to allow the traditional fishermen to carry out their activities”.

Another traditional fisherman Domingo Rodrigues, popularly known as Dom Rod, echoed similar sentiments when he said the government should make available land for berthing of the traditional canoes.

“Normally, we anchor our fishing boats on the shore. But, there have been instances wherein the boats drifted towards the sea in the dead of night due to cyclone and rising water. A dedicated space to anchor our fishing boats during monsoons should be of great help for the fishermen”, he added.

The sentiments expressed by the Colva-based fishermen assume significance and come against the backdrop of reports that the Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) has proposed the development of Colva beach under the “Development of Iconic Tourist Destination Scheme". Under the scheme, the GTDC has proposed the development of the land acquired by the Tourism Department, which is now being presently utilized by the fishing community.

Local MLA Venzy Viegas has underscored the need to involve the local fishing community by incorporating a fishing village in the area earmarked under the iconic beach for an amphitheatre at the acquired land at Colva.

Cavelossim fishermen see red in erection of tower on beach

MARGAO

Traditional fishermen from Cavelossim saw red in the erection of a tower on the beach, suspecting that all these projects were part of the Blue Flag certification project under the Central government scheme.

Following protests from the fishermen, the local panchayat later stopped work on the tower work. The material used for the tower construction has all been towed away by the contractor and the beach has been restored to its condition.

Social activist and traditional fisherman Roy Barretto said the local fishermen were agitated over the tower construction as they firmly believed that all these facilities were part of the Centre’s Blue Flag certification which will spell doom for the local fishing community.

“We would not mind if the local government had to come up with proposals by taking the local fishing communities into confidence. But, these proposals are all coming from the Centre, with the avowed objective of handing over the tourism activities to private players”, Roy said.

He added: “If one goes through the Blue Flag Notification, it gives exemption to the CRZ application. The CRZ notifications accord priority for the local fishing communities, which is now sought to be diluted through the Blue Flag certification. This will spell doom for the local fishing communities”.

Benaulim fishermen red-flag Drishti’s floating jetty plan

MARGAO

Benaulim-based traditional fishermen have red flagged the floating jetty proposal mooted by Drishti off the Benaulim beach.

The proposal came to light when a Goa State Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) team descended at Benaulim last month for an inspection of the beach in view of Drishti’s proposal for a floating jetty at the beach.

Traditional fisherman Pele Fernandes, who was present on the beach around the time of the inspection, gave in writing to the GCZMA team of the strong opposition from the traditional fishing community and tourism stakeholders to the floating jetty.

“This floating jetty is not in the interest of the traditional fishermen nor of the tourist taxi operators. Why should Benaulim play host to the floating jetty when it is not in the interest of the local stakeholders”, Pele asserted.