Mafia strikes Zuari river Fisheries Fisheries Department supports loot and plunder
Today August 30, 2023 from 6.00 am onwards there are over 50 cannoes carrying on illegal purse seine fishing in Zuari river. Fisheries Control room is inaccessible. It looks to be deliberately disabled to avoid receiving complaint of these illegalities. Fisheries Patrol boat as well as marine police patrol boats vanished. They appear in waters only during G 20 without fail. The entire Fisheries administration is in collapsed state. On August 28, 2023 Secretary (Fisheries) S.S. Gill had assured delegation of Fishermen from All Goa Small Scale Responsible Fisheries Union to take action against this menace. Yet nothing has happened. The livelihoods of the traditional fishers using legally permitted Gill net in Zuari stands disrupted. All purse seine fishing nets in Zuari river are illegal as stated by Fisheries Deputy Director Chandrakant Velip during the meeting with Fisheries Secretary on August 28, 2023 aa well as as per department circulars earlier. Purse seine fishers use computerized fish finders aa well as purse seine fishing nets with mesh sizes as small as 5 mm that triggers massive fish depletion catching fish smaller than juveniles. The repeated incidences of massive illegal fishing is joint failure of Government of Goa and Government of India who through their acts of omission promote illegal fishing in Goa. According to officials of Goa Government such as Chandrakant Velip Goa Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant is preventing ant strong action against illegal fishing in Zuari river. There is operating mafia nexus between the Goa Fisheries administration and those carrying on illegal fishing. Mafia has taken over Governance in Goa.