The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Halt dredging for Sethu project, say fishermen

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Aug 24, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Halt dredging for Sethu project, say fishermen

Staff Reporter

"The project aimed at creating a navigable channel will affect marine ecology in the region" "It will affect marine ecology in the region and our livelihood"

PRESSING FOR THEIR RIGHTS: Members of the National Union of Fishermen staging a demonstration in front of the Collectorate in Chennai on Tuesday. — Photo: M. Vedhan

CHENNAI: : Members of the National Union of Fishermen and their families staged a demonstration here on Tuesday against the Sethusamudram project.

Maintaining that the project to dredge a navigable channel around the peninsula would affect the marine animals in the region and affect the livelihood of fishermen, they demanded the project be halted.

Their other demands include compensation for the damage caused to the nets by the dredging, steps to secure the release of Indian fishermen held captive by Pakistan and supply of diesel at lower prices.

Members of the National Fishworkers' Forum, at a meeting here on Monday, said the Coastal Aquaculture Authority Act 2005 negated the rights and aspirations of fish workers and other coastal communities.

In a statement, the forum said the Act compromised on their right to livelihood, condoning aquaculture farms in the coastal areas and turning a blind eye to serious violations of the Coastal Regulation Zone.

The meeting said the recommendations of the M.S.Swaminathan Committee marked a radical departure from the notification.

The members urged the Centre not to reduce tariff on import of fish under compulsion from the World Trade Organisation and demanded that the Government press for excluding fisheries from the non-agricultural market access negotiations.

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