VISAKHAPATNAM: A consultation here on the Coastal Regulatory Zone Notification of 1991 in the light of the proposed alternative to the Coastal Zone Management Plan favoured retaining of the former.

The consultation was organised by Equations and Keratam, NGOs working on coastal issues, on violations of CRZ to promote industry and tourism affecting the livelihoods of fishermen and the environment.

Addressing the meeting, Syed Liyakhat, programme incharge, Eco systems of Equations, said earlier consultations on the subject in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Orissa had veered round to the view that CRZ should not be replaced by CZM. The discussions were based on the proposals available with Equations but the Ministry of Environment and Forests had not released the draft proposals yet, he said.

Panel set up

An expert committee headed by agricultural scientist M.S. Swaminathan was constituted by the MoEF to carry out a review of the CRZ notification and its recommendations were submitted in February 2005.

Mr Liyakhat said even the National Fishworkers Federation wanted the release of the draft proposals to be stopped and discussions with fishermen organisations. Representatives of NGOs working on issues related to CRZ and fishermen participated in the consultation. Speaking at the meeting, Santaram, president of Coasta Matsyakarula Sangham, described the priority given to tourism as an experiment on the poor fishermen.

Even in the development of a private port at Gangavaram the Government was biased towards the industry at the cost of fishermen, he alleged.

T. Sankar of the Matsyakara Yuvajana Samkshema Sangham said before any development work was taken up whether it benefited fishermen should be weighed. Sudarshan Rodriguez presented a critique of the Prof. Swaminathan Committee report prepared by ATREE of Bangalore. Action Aid Andhra Pradesh Programme Officer T. Visweswara Rao, Equations representative Ram Kumar and Keratam convenor B. Ramu participated.

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