from Ares
for Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji (GA)

Panaji, May 20: The national fisherworkers forum (NFF) has raised banner of protest against central government's step to have coastal management zones (CMZ) claiming it to be detrimental to the coastal environment.

"The coastal regulating zones (CRZ) was a good piece of regulation. It is being replaced by CMZ, which intends to manage the coast. The CMZ is highly confusing and misleading," NFF chairperson Harekrishna Debnath told reporters here.

The NFF-led fisher folks from the coastal states have launched "Machhimar Adhikar Rashtriya Abhiyan' (MARA) which has launched the campaign from Kutch, Kanyakumari and Kolkata.

The MARA, which began on May 1 will culminate on June 27, after traversing through all the coastal states, with a huge rally at the Parliament.

"They want to carry waves of sea to the doors of power," is how Debnath explained the entire movement.

Expressing their strong opposition to the CMZ, Debnath said that the new regulation speaks of set back line which will be decided by local bodies like panchayat and municipalities.

"The local bodies have no scientific knowledge or machinery to decide the set back line," he said adding that such an unscientific demarcation would spell doom on entire fishing community and agrarian economy.

"This will lead to food insecurity and nutrition crisis," the NFF chairperson feared.

"This industry brings in 30 lac tonnes of protein food from the sea annually. It is the cheapest protein in the world," he said referring to the catch from the sea.

Fishing industry contributes for Rs 30,000 crore for country's gross domestic product (GDP) bringing in foreign currency of Rs 5,000 crores.

The MARA is also protesting against allowing foreign fishing vessels to fish in Indian waters. "Union government has issued letters of permit (LOP) to more than 100 vessels and has announced decision to allow import of 500 vessels under joint venture," Debnath said.