‘Govt is doing nothing to save coasts’
National Fishworkers Forum has launched a campaign to save the country’s coastline……….Ashwin Aghor
National Fishworkers Forum has launched a campaign to save the country’s coastline……….Ashwin Aghor
The National Fishworkers Forum (NFF) has launched a nationwide campaign, Machhimar Adhikar Rashtriya Abhiyan, to save the coastline of the country.
The campaign, which started from Jakho Rann of Kutch in Gujarat on May 1, will culminate at Kolkata on June 27. The campaign will be a precursor to the Fisher People’s Parliament march in July.
The NFF has alleged that the central and state governments were playing to the tune of big business houses by allowing large scale encroachments of coastal land and devastation of coastal resources by Special Economic Zone (SEZ).
“India’s 8,118 km coastline is facing threat due to ill-conceived mega projects, rampant reclamation and large-scale mechanised and destructive fishing,” said J John of NFF.
Despite earning foreign exchange worth Rs4,200 crore annually through export, the fisheries sector has always been ignored by policy makers, he said.
Despite earning foreign exchange worth Rs4,200 crore annually through export, the fisheries sector has always been ignored by policy makers, he said.
“The campaign will cover 8,000 km of coastline in nine states and create awareness to protect the rich biodiversity along the coast,” John said. Traditional livelihood, marine resources and coastal ecology has come under threat due to mindless policies and the sea has become a dumping ground of all toxic wastes and pollutants, John added.
Harekrishna Debnath, chairperson of NFF said that just as land belonged to tillers, the coast and waters belonged to fishermen.
Harekrishna Debnath, chairperson of NFF said that just as land belonged to tillers, the coast and waters belonged to fishermen.
“The crisis has reached to such an extent that the Indian Ocean has been turned into one of the major marine zones adversely affected by pollution from the land,” Debnath said.
Despite formulating the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification in 1991, the Central government has failed to enforce it. Moreover, the notification was amended as many as 21 times due to commercial interests.
Despite formulating the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification in 1991, the Central government has failed to enforce it. Moreover, the notification was amended as many as 21 times due to commercial interests.
“The conversion of CRZ to CMZ will further add to the miseries of fishermen and devastate the coastline and marine ecology of the country,” Debnath said.
The NFF has demanded that traditional and customary rights of fishermen over coastal land and water should be recognised and the government should implement CRZ instead of converting it into Coastal Management Zone (CMZ). It has also demanded development of comprehensive fisheries legislation, reformation of Marine Fishing Regulation Acts of states to improve fisheries management and develop coordination mechanism for peaceful inter-state fishing.
Debnath came down heavily on the government and appealed to fishermen from Kutch to Sundarban to be united for the cause and prepare for the bigger movement during the monsoon session of the Parliament. The campaign has covered Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa and has now reached Karnataka, Debnath said.