Kerala Fisher Workers United Forum announced protests against the Kerala Maritime Amendment Act on Friday. State president Charles George said, "These measures will push the fishing community into a grave crisis and open the door to sweeping privatisation." The forum fears the new law threatens traditional fishing and housing rights.
Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Fisher Workers United Forum (TUCI) has announced plans to launch protests against Kerala Maritime Amendment Act, alleging that the legislation threatened the fishing and housing rights of traditional fishing communities.In a statement issued on Friday, the forum's state president, Charles George, said the law was being implemented without consultations with fisherfolk or labour organisations.Nearly two lakh active fish workers in Keralam depend on the sea for their livelihood, with the sector comprising around 43,000 vessels, ranging from country crafts to deep-sea trawlers, he said.George said the movement of fishing vessels and commercial ships along Kerala coast increased the risk of collisions. Referring to the Enrica Lexie-Prabhu Daya incident and other accidents, he alleged that eight ship collisions had damaged fishing boats and resulted in the deaths of fishermen. Vessels involved in such incidents often failed to stop, he added.The forum opposed the designation of a shipping lane within 30 nautical miles of Kollam coast, saying it passed through Quilon Bank (Kollam Parappu), a major fishing zone extending for about 85km from Varkala to Ambalapuzha.
It demanded that shipping routes be located at least 50 nautical miles west of the fishing ground.
Keralam govt had earlier supported the demand, but Centre hadn't accepted it, George said.The forum criticised what it described as an "anti-fisher" blue economy policy. It alleged that projects, including a 2,000km coastal road, coastal zone development areas, tourism circuits, port cities, container freight stations, shipbuilding yards and ship-breaking units, could displace fishing communities.George said the project documents didn't adequately address rehabilitation and compensation for affected fish workers. He identified the Ocean Mission and corridor projects as the Keralam components of these wider development plans.Offshore sand mining and mineral sand extraction projects, which the fisherfolk opposed through protests lasting more than a year, were being revived under the proposed mineral corridor plan, the forum alleged.
"These measures will push the fishing community into a grave crisis and open the door to sweeping privatisation," George said. He called upon fisher organisations and public-interest groups to join a united struggle against govt's policies.