Mangaluru, Nov 21: Activist and Narmada Bachao Andolan leader Medha Patkar on Friday flagged off a boat rally from Mangaluru to Thiruvananthapuram at Bunder, here, aimed at protection of sea, coast, inland water bodies and fisheries resources.
The rally is being organised in association with National Fishworkers Forum in Karnataka and Kerala. The campaign will witness a series of public meetings along the west coast, culminating in a national conference in Thiruvananthapuram on November 30.
Speaking during the launch of rally, Ms Patkar said that consequent governments have failed fulfill the needs of fishing communities, despite their struggle and commitment.
She also lamented that even though UPA government had formed Murari Commission' its report was sidelined and a new committee was formed headed by Dr B. Meenakumari.
She expressed serious reservation about various aspects of report such as earmarking “200 mtr. to 500 mtr. depth buffer zone (where Indian fishermen will be prevented from fishing), encouraging foreign staff in Indian vessels and allowing foreign fishing vessels in our waters.
The seven-member Meenakumari Committee had submitted its report in August and its recommendations included deploying 1,178 deep-sea vessels including existing ones, and an additional 270 vessels comprising 240 tuna long-liners, 15 squid jiggers and 15 purseiner boats in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
Earlier, National Fishworkers Forum vice-president Vasudev Boloor said as Prime Minister Narendra Modi had, before the Lok Sabha elections, promised a lot to the fishing community, including consideration of creation of a separate Ministry for Fisheries, but the first budget of the NDA government was a total disappointment for the sector.
National Fishworkers Forum secretary T. Peter said coastal areas were being given to tourism and power industries while the rights of the fisherfolk were being curtailed.
Foreign vessels were being allowed to fish in Indian waters, adversely affecting the interests of local fishing communities.
The government should reject the recommendations of an expert committee to allow joint ventures with foreign vessels to fish in Buffer Zone (where sea water is 200 ft to 300 ft deep). Instead, Indian fishing community should be encouraged to operate in the zone adopting modern technology, he said.
Mr. Boloor said a march to New Delhi would be organised later to pressurise the Union government to heed to the demands of fishermen. He sought measures to ensure that boat owners got adequate supply of subsidised kerosene with road tax exempted.
No boat owner was able to receive subsidised kerosene because it was reserved for the below poverty line card holders. “Tell me, will a mechanised boat owner have a BPL card?” he said. More details awaited.
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