Wednesday, Mar 19, 2003
Wednesday, Mar 19, 2003 |
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By Our Staff Correspondent
The activists from the Environmental Justice Initiative and the Delhi Forum, have demanded that the study be conducted by an independent commission of experts and no action be taken against the fishermen before such a study is completed. The visit was prompted by the report of the Central Empowered Committee (CEC), instituted by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, recommending eviction of the transient fishermen from the Jambudwip island by March 31. Suggesting that the area around the fish drying bed on the island be clearly demarcated and fenced, the environmentalists in their fact-finding report `Endangered Livelihood' have said the transient fishing community should be made equal partners in any conservation effort and monitoring programme undertaken on the island. "The transient fishermen should be provided with economically viable alternative fuel so that the fishermen are not blamed for concerns regarding mangrove destruction,'' the report says. Over 10,000 fishermen go to the Jambudwip island between October and February to catch and dry the fish which becomes their source of livelihood. However, the World Wildlife Fund and the Wildlife Protection Society of India had complained to the Ministry of Environment and Forests regarding encroachment of forest land and destruction of mangrove forest because of fishermen and their fishing activities. The CEC visited the island in December 2002 and directed the authorities concerned to evict the fishermen. The transient fishermen should be issued identity cards by the Fisheries Department so as to eliminate the security concerned raised in the CEC report because of the island's proximity to a neighbouring country. There was also an agreement between the West Bengal Government and the fishermen on August 9, 2002 according to which the State Government had assured that it would apply to the Ministry of Environment and Forests to regularise the drying of fish on the island, the fact-finding report says, while recommending that the agreement should be followed in letter and spirit. Supporting the suggestion of anthropologist Bikash Raychoudhury, author of "The Moon and Net'' (life of the fishermen on Jambudwip island) that rather than evicting them and depriving them of their livelihood, every step should be taken to protect this unique community of transient fishermen as they reflect not only an anthropological and cultural heritage. The Jambudwip island including the waterways is a reserved forest notified in 1943. The Forest Department of West Bengal claims that since there were no inhabitants when it was notified.
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