The Kerala Swathanthra Matsyathozhilali Federation has warned the State government against any move to mine sea sand while threatening to fight it by lining up boats and catamarans along the coast.
CRZ ActAddressing a press conference here on Wednesday, T. Peter, national secretary, National Fishworkers’ Forum, alleged that the move was aimed at helping the sand mafia.
The federation called for the implementation of the Coastal Regulation Zone Act with sole exemption in the construction of houses for fishing workers within 25-50 metre radius from the coast unlike the existing restriction of 100 metre.
Those demanding non-implementation of CRZ Act were doing so not for the protection of fishing community but for saving the interests of the resort mafia.
Mr. Peter questioned the genuineness of Fisheries Minister K. Babu’s statement that entire debts of fishermen would be written off.
The State budget had made provision for just Rs. 10 crore as against the Fishermen Debt Relief Commission’s finding that Rs. 425 crore was needed for the purpose.
The National Fishworkers Forum and the Kerala Swathanthra Matsyathozhilali Federation have decided to highlight the problems faced by the fisheries sector during the forthcoming Parliament elections in the coastal States of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry, the proposed Seemandhra, Odisha, and West Bengal besides in Andaman and Nicobar Islands and New Delhi.
Independent ministryMr. Peter said that formation of an independent fisheries ministry is the only way to resolve the problems of the fishing community.
