Date:13/12/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/12/13/stories/2004121305330500.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Fisherfolk flay nod for foreign vessels

By Our Staff Reporter

VISAKHAPATNAM, DEC. 12. Traditional fish workers from all over India have resolved to drum up public support against the reported decision of the Central Government to grant licences to foreign fishing vessels and tuna long-liners.

The decision would adversely affect traditional fishermen, the Andhra Pradesh Fish Boat Workers' Union (APFBWU) leader, T.K. Rehman, said on Sunday.

Against rules

He said the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) should object to the move as it was against the objectives spelt out in the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification issued in 1991.

The recent general body meeting of the National Fish Workers' Forum (NFF) resolved to oppose the decision by holding protest meetings and rallies, he said. The meet also adopted a resolution asking the Centre to include fisherfolk in the SC/ST list.

`Scrap Sethusamundram'

Meanwhile, the NFF chairperson, Harekrishna Debnath and the secretary, N.D. Koli, asked the Ministry of Environment and Forest to scrap the Sethusamundram Ship Canal Project (SSCP). The controversial project moots creation of a network of canals for ships from Tuticorin to Sri Lanka. The fisherfolk fear that dredging and sand mining would affect the coast.

`Farcical study'

In the memorandum submitted to the ministry, Mr. Debnath and Mr. Koli objected to the project as no comprehensive environment impact assessment (EIA) was conducted before giving the go-ahead to it. They said the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) did some "farcical study" using secondary data from as early as 1976.

"Continuous dredging of sand needs wasteland to dump waste sand. But wasteland is not available as all lands along the coast are part of a fragile coastal eco-system with several hundreds of fishing villages," they stated.

Opposing the public hearing conducted by the officials violating the norms, they alleged that the ministry also ignored the International Covenants and Protocols, United Nations Convention on Bio-diversity, various judgments of the Supreme Court, Wildlife Protection Act and the CRZ guidelines while according clearance to the project.