Sonia Filinto

Sharmila Joshi

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“In the 1970s and ’80s, there used to be a surplus in our catch. We even
sold mackerel as manure for coconut plantations,” Marceline Fernandes, an
elderly fisherman from Calangute village in north Goa, told me. (He has passed
away since I met him for this documentary.) 

Over the decades though, as Goa became a highly popular destination, with tourists coming throughout the year, fish has also remained in demand all 12 months – and therefore it is no longer as abundant. Big trawlers fishing off Goa&#39;s coast have also reduced the size of the fishermen’s catch. As a result, the communities living
along the state’s 104-kilometre coastline have had to supplement their traditional occupation of
fishing by starting shops, water sports and other tourism-related
activities. Over time, many from the younger generation have travelled to West Asian
countries for work, while many have set up small beach restaurants or become a part
of the tourism industry in other ways. Some are still holding on: “My
forefathers were fishermen,” says Ronnie
Fernandes, “and I hope to continue being one.”

The documentary Shifting Sands features
the fishermen and fisherwomen of Calangute, a village at the centre of north
Goa’s tourism belt. It explores how they perceive themselves, their trade and
the changes around them. The sands may have shifted, and the tide keeps changing, but some bonds remain
strong.

Note:  Shifting Sands, produced and
directed by PARI contributor Sonia Filinto, is an independent documentary made
in 2012-13. It was screened at the Le Festival International de Films Pêcheurs du Monde 2015 in Lorient, France.
Screenings have also been held in Goa, Bengaluru and Dubai.

Shifting sands and changing tides

बदलती रेत की कहानी, लहरों का बहता पानी

மணலின் மாற்றமும் அலைகளின் மாற்றமும்

ଘୁଞ୍ଚୁଥିବା ବାଲି ଓ ବଦଳୁଥିବା ଜୁଆର

Calangute

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Shifting sands and changing tides

PARI presents a documentary on the fisherfolk of Goa’s Calangute village, who describe how tourism and trawlers have eaten their fish, why many have left the trade, and how some continue to go to sea

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