Fishermen, owing allegiance to the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), staged a demonstration after entering into the sea here on Tuesday, protesting against Dr. Meenakumari Commission report and urging the Centre to drop the recommendations.
Expressing their resentment, the fishermen said the livelihood of the fishermen would be adversely affected if the Centre implemented the Commission’s recommendations and forced the fishing community to vacate the seashore.
Addressing the agitators, S. Muruganandam, State secretary of the AITUC Meenavar Sangam, said the Commission’s recommendation that mechanised and country boat fishermen should not be allowed to fish beyond 12 nautical miles in the sea would badly affect their livelihood.
Another recommendation of the Commission, permitting foreign vessels engaged in deep sea fishing into the Exclusive Economic Zone of Indian waters would also be detrimental to the interests of Indian fishermen, who were not familiarised with deep sea fishing, he said.
The Commission’s report was yet to be tabled in Parliament, but the Centre was contemplating to promulgate an Ordinance to implement the recommendations.
“After trying to ruin the lives of the farmers with the Land Acquisition Bill, the Centre has targeted the fishermen with the Meenakumari report,” he said.
M. Patrik, fishermen leader and Pamban panchyat president, said the move to displace fishermen, who were using the 200 metre area from the seashore for their dwelling and for drying nets, amounted to pledging their rights to the corporate and multinational companies.
After forcing the fishing community to vacate the seashore, the Centre proposed to allow these companies engaged in minerals and gas exploration, he alleged.
The fishermen were also opposed to the Commission’s recommendation that they should fix GPS devises in all fishing vessels, he added.
