AUGUSTO RODRIGUES
PANJIM: Shamila Monteiro has been removed as Fisheries Director and Yashaswini B, IAS, has replaced her, thus bringing relief to traditional fishermen, who have been alleging that she has offered her shoulders to LED fishing in Goa allegedly orchestrated by Miguel Rodrigues, a Goa-based fishing baron.
The first indication of a link between Monteiro and Rodrigues gained clarity when in its reported dated August 22, 2023, O Heraldo exposed how the Fisheries Director had failed to notify in the Official Gazette that permission was granted to Rodrigues to set up a private fishing landing jetty at Mobor, Cavelossim.
The investigation revealed that Rodrigues was allowed to operate despite paragraph 2 of the Official Gazette dated September 24, 2020, stating: “The Coastal Security Coordination Committee recommended that the State landing at any other landing centre other than notified land jetties should not be allowed.”
Further inquiries revealed that Fisheries Minister Nilkanth Halarnkar along with his Director, OSD Prathamesh Tulaskar, Miguel Rodrigues and his son Joyston and other fishermen were invited by the Indian Embassy in Oslo, Norway, for an India Norway Business Seminar from February 24, 2024 to March 4, 2024 at the behest of Rodrigues.
Information sought under Right to Information (RTI) Act 2005 revealed that lakhs of rupees were spent by the Fisheries Minister and Monteiro (O Heraldo edition dated September 7, 2024, and September 8, 2024) during the junket, even as fishermen were denied subsidy in time for alleged lack of funds.
No details were provided on the expenditure borne on the OSD of the Fisheries Minister and whether Rodrigues, his son and others were State guests or not - despite the same being specified in the RTI. Rodrigues claimed that he had paid for his and his son’s trip.
The Goa Foundation through a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) writ petition has been insisting that mechanised fishing boats be banned from carrying DG sets as they assist LED fishing.
Despite a report of Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) of the presence of DG sets in mechanised boats in Goa and no need of the same, the Fisheries Department, under Shamila Monteiro, has been shying away from banning DG sets.
“This is a great day for all of us traditional fishermen. It has been obvious through our catch since the start of this fishing season that LED fishing, which is banned all over India but clandestinely allowed in Goa, is killing our fish and yet the Fisheries Director was silent,” said Romario Fernandes from Utorda.
“Good that the government has decided to move her out. For once, our Chief Minister has shown that he has not totally forgotten us,” he added.
“The Department wants to allow these trawler owners to use generators, which are in the end used for LED fishing. There is no fear of the law and we can see why. Even while the matter is in the High Court, LED fishing is underway. The Fisheries Director must resign,” Agnelo Rodrigues, president of Goenchea Ramponkarancho Ekvott (GRE), was quoted in the O Heraldo edition dated September 8, 2024.
Three days later, she was shunted out by the Government of Goa.