Fish-workers national campaign reaches Kollam Staff Reporter Date:30/05/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/05/30/stories/2008053053320300.htm A precursor to their Parliament march Coastal march: The Kutch-Kanyakumari-Kolkata campaign of the National Fish-workers Forum passing through Kollam on Thursday. KOLLAM: The Kutch-Kanyakumari-Kolkata vehicle campaign of the National Fish-workers Forum (NFF) to garner support for the Parliament march of fish-workers in July reached Kollam on Thursday. The campaign that began on May 1 from Kutch will reach Kolkatta on June 27 after covering the entire coastal belt of the country. NFF chairman Harikrishna Debnath who leads the campaign said that the Parliament march was in protest against the move to replace the 1991 Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification with the Coastal Zone Management notification. He alleged that the basic intention behind the move was to sell the coastal areas for commercial plunder. Addressing the campaign at Vady Junction here, NFF activist and former Tourism Minister of Goa Mathani Saldhana said that there had never been any attempt from the government side to garner the strength of the fishing community in managing coastal resources. On the contrary, there had been a systematic effort to shut off this community from any meaningful participation in coastal management. He said that the CZM notification would result in the fishing community's future turning uncertain. Traditional fishing grounds could be denied to the fishermen. The CZM reflects the Government of India's determination to sell the sea for commercial looting by foreign companies. Mr. Saldhana, who champions the movement against special economic zones in Goa, said that in order to resist the CZM, fishermen of the country had to unite. He alleged there was a concerted effort by vested interests to keep the fishing communities divided on the basis caste and creed. The fishing community should see through this game plan and oppose the CZM. Some of the demands to be raised during the Parliament march include recognition of the customary and traditional rights of the fishing community over coastal land and waters, implementation of the CRZ notification, ban on intensive aquaculture along the coast, announcing a comprehensive legislation for the exclusive economic zone waters, sufficient cheaper fuel for sustainable fishing and reforming the Marine Fishing Regulation Acts of the States to improve fisheries management. The Kerala course of the campaign was also led by president of the Kerala Matsyathozhilali Federation T. Peter and general secretary A. Andrews. ........................................................................... Fish workers oppose reforms Date:01/06/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/06/01/stories/2008060158720300.htm Special Correspondent Thiruvananthapuram: Hundreds of fish workers took out a march to the office of the Accountant-General here on Saturday in protest against the proposed reforms in the fisheries sector and the government's move to replace the Coastal Regulation Zone policy with the Coastal Zone Management policy. The stir was organised as part of a nation-wide campaign by the National Fishworkers' Forum (NFF) urging the Central and State governments to take steps to ensure the livelihood security of fisherfolk. Inaugurating the march, Pannian Ravindran, MP, said the government had a responsibility to protect coastal and marine resources. NFF leaders alleged that the proposed reforms in the fisheries sector would expose traditional fishermen to unhealthy competition from multinational companies and lead to plunder of marine resources. They said the Coastal Zone Management policy and the decision to permit the operation of foreign trawlers would affect the livelihood of traditional fishermen all over the country. NFF leaders Harekrishna Debnath and Matanhy Saldanha; State president of Kerala Swathantra Matsya Thozhilali Federation T. Peter; and general secretary A. Andrews; were among those who spoke. The NFF national campaign for the rights of fish workers began in Gujarat on May 1. During the Kerala leg of the campaign, the team visited fishing villages and landing centres along the coast from Kasaragod to Thiruvananthapuram and addressed public meetings. Mr. Debnath said the team had received complaints from fish workers against sand-mining, import of fish, inadequate supply of kerosene for outboard engines and discrepancy in utilisation of tsunami rehabilitation funds. _________________________________________ reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. 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