Illegal fishing hitting Goan fishermen’s livelihoods
In a major crackdown on illegal fishing, the Goa Fisheries Department on Wednesday seized ten Maharashtra-registered trawlers off the Calangute coast in coordination with the Coastal Police for allegedly operating illegally in Goa’s territorial waters thereby violating state regulations and maritime boundaries. This unlawful activity by fishermen of neighbouring states threatens local livelihoods and marine ecology. It is learnt that over the past two months, five fishing trawlers from Karnataka were also similarly seized. With the fishing season underway there could be more instances of fishing boats from other states entering Goa’s territorial waters. The government has said that it is committed to protecting the rights of Goan fishermen and ensuring that our waters are not exploited by outside fishing boats. However the Goenchea Ramponkarancho Ekvott (GRE) has on Thursday reportedly demanded an urgent amendment to the Goa, Daman and Diu Marine Fishing Regulation Act, 1980 in order to include stronger deterrent penalties on any non-Goa registered fishing vessels engaged in illegal fishing within Goan territorial waters. It is learnt that despite several years of complaining to the Fisheries Department, these vessels continue to indulge in bull trawling, pair trawling and even LED light fishing activities causing massive destruction of marine resources and they even destroy the fishing nets of local fishermen. Besides strict enforcement by the Coast Guard, Coastal Police and Fisheries Department, it seems necessary for the local fishermen to report suspicious activity to the authorities concerned, so that the offenders can be apprehended swiftly and necessary action taken. There needs to be zero tolerance towards this illegal activity. Incidentally two Goan registered fishing trawlers have been detained by Maharashtra fisheries authorities for allegedly entering that state’s territorial waters.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Karnataka CM standoff
Karnataka has been in the news for the past two days over the issue of the Chief Minister’s chair. The current Chief Minister Siddaramaiah continues to hold the position, and as per the existing understanding, there is a power-sharing arrangement for the Chief Minister post for two and a half years. The other contender for the Chief Minister’s position is D K Shivakumar, the present Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka. Many supporters of D K Shivakumar want their leader to take over as Chief Minister after the completion of Siddaramaiah’s two-and-a-half-year term, in accordance with the power-sharing terms. The matter was later taken up with the Congress high command, but neither Sonia Gandhi nor Rahul Gandhi commented on the issue. This silence provided the opposition an opportunity to criticise and demand a no-confidence motion against the current chief minister. However, Siddaramaiah’s supporters are determined for him to continue in the post and are prepared to face the no-confidence motion on the floor of the house. The present situation indicates that there is no apparent dispute over the chief minister seat between the two leaders, but the opposition has interpreted the silence of the Congress high command as evidence of political drama within the party.
Raju Ramamurthy, Vasco
Cybercrime threat rises
It is quite alarming to observe that cybercrimes are on the rise in our country, spreading with increasing intensity. Alongside this troubling trend, a large number of people continue to fall prey to these deceitful scams, as greed has become the primary vulnerability that tricksters exploit. Unfortunately, many individuals are lured by the promise of high returns, which they mistakenly assume are guaranteed. To protect ourselves, it is always advisable to invest resources in government-approved institutions, even if the returns are comparatively lower than those offered by private entities. To put the scale of the problem into perspective, in a small state like Goa, authorities have initiated as many as 660 takedown requests. These takedowns cover a wide range of fraudulent activities, including fake apps, bogus parcel deliveries, digital call arrests, fake hotel booking portals, and more. It is crucial to recognize that we are living in a digital era, where shielding ourselves from such cyber-atrocities is essential.For the safety and welfare of the local populace, authorities have urged citizens to report suspicious activity via the designated portal: Chakshu Portal at (https://sancharsaati.gov.in/sfc) (https://sancharsaati.gov.in/sfc). Ultimately, individuals must remain vigilant and exercise caution, refraining from investing in dubious schemes that prey on gullibility.
Joseph Desouza, Candolim
