Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Fishing community opposes draft Coastal Management Zone law

Special Correspondent

Says new law will endanger livelihood security

Thiruvananthapuram: The fishing community in the State is gearing up for an agitation against a proposed law to be introduced by the Union Government on coastal management. The National Fish workers Forum (NFF) has announced a nation-wide agitation, alleging that the law will threaten the marine environment and affect the livelihood security of thousands of fishermen.

The Kerala Swathantra Matsya Thozhilali Federation is spearheading the protest movement in the State. Federation leaders say that the proposed law favours development over conservation. State president of the federation T. Peter says the absence of public consultation on the law is undemocratic and raises serious questions about the intention of the Government on a matter with serious long-term implications for the fishing communities. He says it will also deprive the communities of their legitimate rights to livelihood.

The federation has already launched a campaign to send online petitions to national leaders highlighting the flaws in the proposed law. It will organise a State-level convention in July and a campaign to send letters to the Prime Minister, the United Progressive Alliance Chairperson and the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests. Fishermen throughout the State will participate in a protest march to district headquarters on Quit India Day.

According to NFF leaders, the draft Coastal Management Zone law, due to be announced soon, will further marginalise the fishing communities and place them at the mercy of big business. Campaign committee convenor Harekrishna Debhnath says it will add to the impact created by sand mining, tourism, fish farming and other types of aquaculture, land reclamation, hydrocarbon exploration and port development on India’s coast.

Scientists fear that a spurt in development activities in the coastal areas will threaten estuaries, salt marshes, lagoons, mangroves, mudflats, sand dunes and coral reefs, marked by fragile ecosystems. The proposed law will replace the existing the Coastal Regulation Zone Act, which has already been amended 19 times since its enactment in 1991. The existing Act does not permit development up to 200 metres from the coast and also recognises the customary rights of fishing communities.

Fish workers’ organisations say that the Ministry is planning amendments to the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification of 1991, allowing commercial activities within 500 metres of the coastline. They claim that the new notification is designed to permit special economic zones and industrial and tourism activities in urban areas close to the coast.

The Ministry had earlier proposed the demarcation of a vulnerability line to define the permissible limit for commercial activities. But there has been no clarification on how the line will be drawn.

Organisations representing the fishing communities maintain that the draft law, based on the recommendations of the M.S. Swaminathan Committee, will pave the way for unsustainable developmental activities in large areas of the coastal zone. They contend that the shift in focus from regulation to management is an attempt to dilute the regulatory aspects of the 1991 notification.

“The Swaminathan committee recommends the expansion of the coastal zone to include territorial waters — the area from the shore to 12 nautical miles. This expansion into territorial waters has major implications for livelihoods of fishing communities. There is no explicit mention that this area should be managed with full participation of fishing communities, and that their rights to fish in this area should be protected and promoted. It needs to be explicitly stated that no part of this area shall be diverted for any other purpose,” Mr .Peter says.

In its representation to the Union Ministry, the federation has urged the Government to ensure that the fishing communities enjoy the right to housing in coastal areas, the right to use coastal land for occupational purposes. It is also demanding consultations with stakeholders including fish workers’ organisations, State governments, coastal panchayats and relevant Government departments before modifying the 1991 notification.

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