Vasco: The National Fishworkers Forum (NFF) has welcomed the Mormugao Port Authority’s (MPA) decision to withdraw its expression of interest (EOI) for leasing approximately one kilometre of Baina beach for water sports activities.“We consider this a victory for the people of Goa, traditional fishing communities and all those who believe that Goa’s beaches, rivers and coastal waters must remain accessible to the public and protected from indiscriminate commercial exploitation,” said NFF general secretary Olencio Simoes.While welcoming the withdrawal, the NFF demanded a clear commitment that similar proposals would not be introduced again without transparent public consultation and a proper assessment of their social, environmental and livelihood impacts.Simoes recalled that the erstwhile Mormugao Port Trust (MPT), now MPA, had entered into lease agreements for marina development at Nauxim and Sancoale in Oct 2010. The proposals faced opposition from local residents and fishing communities concerned about access to the water, traditional fishing activities and the commercialisation of waterfront areas.He said the withdrawal highlighted the importance of public opposition and the need for greater accountability in decisions affecting Goa’s coastline. He added that the issue extended beyond Baina beach, raising serious questions about the expanding powers of the MPA and its control over coastal land and water areas essential to traditional fishworkers, tourism stakeholders and local communities.Simoes said the MPA, under its current statutory framework, exercised significant powers within its jurisdiction. “These powers must not be allowed to undermine the rights of the people of Goa or interfere unnecessarily with the traditional livelihoods of fishing communities and tourism stakeholders.“The people of Goa cannot accept a situation in which a port authority appears to operate like a ‘state within a state’, making decisions over beaches, rivers and coastal waters without sufficient public accountability, when people’s lives depend on these resources,” he said.Simoes said Baina beach was not merely a stretch of sand available for commercial leasing, but a public coastal space, a source of livelihood for traditional fishworkers and local tourism operators, and an important part of Mormugao’s social and economic life.“The proposed leasing proceedings could have raised serious concerns about public access, the future of traditional fishing activities and the potential displacement of local tourism stakeholders,” he said.
