VASCO
Four fishermen’s associations on Monday came out strongly against the proposed fishing finger pier jetty at Vasco bay by Mormugao Port Trust (MPT).
The members of Old Cross Canoe Association Owners Co-operative Society Ltd (OLCAOCSL), Baina Ramponkar and Fishing Canoe Owners Society (BRFCOS), Desterro Fishermen Association (DFA) and Goenchea Raponkarancho Ekvott (GRE) addressing a joint news conference demanded that MPT should upgrade, modernise or expand the existing fishing jetty near Berth 11 of MPT.
The traditional fishermen demanded immediate scrapping of the finger pier jetty, failing which they threatened to come on the streets stating that their livelihood and only beach of Vasco town (Kharewado) will be completely destroyed and claimed that the Kharewado shore was the landing site for several traditional fishermen in Vasco.
Shaukat Haveri of DFA said they faced problems during the monsoon at Desterro and the canoes would get damaged.
GRE general secretary Olencio Simoes said the Google Earth (GE) satellite images indicate that sand is found only on the eastern half of the coastal strip at Kharewado and western part is in grip of chronic erosion, sand starvation and this is because of unsustainable development and continuous maintenance dredging done in the navigational channel by MPT.
Simoes questioned the logic behind dividing the sea into half for the fishing finger pier jetty instead of simply upgrading the present fishing jetty.
OLCAOCSL president Custodio D’Souza said though MPT claimed it to be a fishing jetty project, it was not clear if a POL berth was also a part of the project and demanded actual plan be placed before the people.
“The proposed fishing berth project will completely destroy our remaining beach which is hardly 350 metres and displace landing point of the traditional fisherman of Kharewado, Baina and Desterro”, he said.
