PANJIM: Fish markets and fishing jetties across the state wore deserted look as the fishing community struck their work protesting the draft coastal regulation zone notification. The All India strike call, given by the National Fisherworkers Forum (NFF) evoked tremendous response in Goa, which has fishing as third largest economic activity after tourism and mining.
NFF president Matanhy Saldanha said that all the stakeholders of fishing industry cooperated in the strike. "Trawler owners, fish merchants and fish vendors participated in the strike," he said.
Saldanha said that the central government should now atleast realise about tremendous dissident against it because of the draft CRZ notification.
The activity at Malim jetty, tucked across Mandovi river overlooking the capital city of Panaji, came to a standstill since morning. Mandovi Fishermen Welfare Co-operative Society chairman Menino Afonso said that those trawlers which have already ventured in the sea have been asked to stay there and not to return to the jetty.
"Those who are at the shore have been asked not to go today," Afonso said expressing his full support for the agitation. Afonso heads the co-operative society at state's one of the biggest jetty, which has 300-odd trawlers venturing from it.
The strike will continue for a day and fishes would be available only by tomorrow, Saldanha added. - PTI
I throw my support to you all....although my poor dad in Goa is probably not happy without his fish curry today. The laws are being written to cater to special interests in India, namely the rich...watch, the big hotel chains taking over the beaches and by rich non-Goan property owners or corrupt Goans(politicians). The poor fisherman is being throw out ...that land is too valuable in the Indian corrupt system. We need to save our culture. The fishermen and the essential foods they have provided Goan families have sustained us....we must not loose them. We must fight for them. We cannot allow them to take away our culture. Some laws are unjust. This one does not work for us. Stop forcing these ‘one size fits all’ laws on us. Please let us retain our identity and not be clones of you. Please do not abuse your power.
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