MARGAO
Beleaguered traditional fishermen from Benaulim saw a ray of hope to their long-pending demand for a dedicated parcel of land at the defunct Benaulim hatchery to park their vessels during the monsoons after Chief Minister Pramod Sawant told South district Collector to inspect the hatchery property before taking a final call.
A group of traditional fishermen from Benaulim under the banner of Kharvi Bhavancho Ekvott called on Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and handed over a memorandum demanding allocation of 5,000 sqm of Benaulim hatchery property to the fishermen to berth their vessels during the monsoons and to pursue their fishing activities.
President of Kharvi Bhavancho Ekvott Jose Fernandes told the media that the Chief Minister has promised to meet their requirements at the Benaulim hatchery. Jose said the Chief Minister called up the district Collector to inspect the Benaulim hatchery property and resolve the issue raised by the fishermen through understanding.
Thanking the Chief Minister for his kind gesture of instructing the district Collector to inspect the Benaulim hatchery land and meet their demand, Jose also thanked Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai for seeking an appointment for an audience with the Chief Minister.
“We had a terrible time of berthing our country-made boats on the Benaulim shore this monsoon. Private land owners objected to the berthing of vessels on the shore properties. We faced notices from Fisheries officials to remove the boats,” Jose said, adding that the only property left right at the shore which can meet the requirements of the fishermen for vessel berthing is the Benaulim hatchery land.
Fisherman, Pele Fernandes thanked the Chief Minister for instructing the South district Collector to inspect the hatchery land and resolve our demand for berthing facility. “The sea level is on the rise, hence we cannot park our vessels on the shore. If we berth our vessels little inside, the private owners raise objections. We even received notices from the Fisheries officials to remove the boats,” he said.
To a question on the Fisheries Department’s rejection of their plea to allot 5,000 sqm of hatchery property to the fishermen, Pele said the Chief Minister made it very clear that the government is not aware of the Fisheries Department’s action. Thanking the Chief Minister for promising to resolve their demand, Pele also thanked Goa Forward chief Vijai Sardesai for seeking appointment for the fishermen with the Chief Minister.
The delegation drew attention of the Chief Minister to the fact that the Directorate of Fisheries is already in possession of around 55,000 sqm of land near the Benaulim beach which was acquired some 30 years back under the land acquisition act for the prawn hatchery. “We have insisted that the Government allot us at least 5,000 sqm of the land and facilitate berthing of vessels and to pursue our fishing activities,” they said.
