The Government of Goa on 22nd September 2022, has notified Guidelines/recommendations for sustainable utilization, conservation and management of bioresources with special emphasis on controlled harvesting and conservation of edible clams, other shell fish & critical bioresources within the jurisdiction of the Biodiversity Management Committees along the riverine & coastal areas in the State of Goa.
The present recommendations are made on the key assumptions that:
- Locals are better placed to conserve natural resources;
- People will conserve a resource only if benefits exceed the costs of conservation, and
- People will conserve a resource that is linked directly to their quality of life or livelihood.
As per the guidelines, the available clam resources should be allowed to be harvested only with the traditional method of hand picking and exclusively by the local villagers & those residing within an area of about 5 kms radius from the site by road or water on alongside of location and does not include opposite side of riverbank.
Efforts should be made by Biodiversity Management Committees (BMC) to involve the local stakeholders to ascertain the sustainability of these bio-resources. This will enable to safeguard the intactness of resources available in this locality.
The harvesting should be done only with hand picking method, and no dredging or sweeping the bottom should be permitted in such critical habitats like Chicalim and Sancoale bay, as such dredging operations are known to alter the sediment texture leading to re-suspension and affecting the biogeochemistry causing an ecological imbalance.
