Well-known activist and Narmada Bachao Andolan leader Medha Patkar will flag-off a boat rally from Mangaluru to Thiruvananthupuram aimed at protection of sea, coast, inland water bodies and fisheries resources on November 21 here.
National Fishworkers Forum Secretary T. Peter and its Vice-President Vasudev Boloor told presspersons here on Wednesday that the rally is being organised in association with fisheworkers’ bodies in Karnataka and Kerala.
The campaign will witness a series of public meetings along the west coast culminating in a national conference in Thiruvananthapuram on November 30.
Mr. Boloor said as Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi had, during the elections, promised a lot to the fishing community including active consideration of creation of a separate Ministry for fisheries but the first budget of the NDA Government was a total disappointment for the sector.
Mr. Peter said coastal areas were being given to tourism and power industries while the rights of fisher-folk were being curtailed. Foreign vessels were being allowed to fish in Indian waters adversely affecting the interests of local fishing communities. The Government should reject the recommendations of an expert committee to allow joint ventures with foreign vessels to fish in Buffer Zone (where sea water is 200 ft. to 300 ft. deep). Instead, Indian fishing community should be encouraged to operate in the zone adopting modern technology.
Mr. Boloor said a march to Delhi would be organised later to pressurise the Government to heed to the demands of fishermen. He sought measures to ensure boat owners get adequate supply of subsidised kerosene with road tax exempted. No boat owner was able to lift subsidised kerosene because it is reserved for those holding BPL cards. "Tell me, can there be a mechanised boat owner with a BPL card?" he asked.
