RAMANATHAPURAM
A meeting convened by Ramanathapuram Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) S. Suman to allay the apprehensions of traditional fishermen who have been protesting against the proposed glass bottom boat eco-tourism project in the Gulf of Mannar (GoM) ended abruptly after the fishermen staged a walkout on Wednesday.
After a series of protests by the traditional fishermen and fisherwomen, who eke out a living by fishing and collecting seaweed in the GoM, the RDO convened the meeting of stakeholders on the orders of Collector K. Veera Raghava Rao.
After deliberations for more than one and a half hours, the fisherfolk walked out, stating that they had no option but to step up the agitation as the officials stood firm on their decision to implement the project.
M. Karunamoorthy, district secretary of the CITU- affiliated ‘Kadal Thozhilalar Sangam’, said the officials who heard the grievances of the fisherfolk failed to allay their apprehensions. When the officials categorically said that they would complete installation of buoys and go ahead with the eco-tourism project, the fishermen walked out of the meeting, he said.
Though the officials assured that the project would be beneficial to the local community, the fisherfolk expressed apprehensions that the project would ultimately be handed over to private sector, after which they would be prevented from fishing in the GoM and deprived of their livelihood, he alleged. “We will continue our agitation till the authorities remove the buoys installed to demarcate the eco-tourism zone and announced shelving of the project”, he said.
The officials made it clear that the project was purely community-based and conceived to improve the standard of living of the local fishing community. It would in no way affect their livelihood, they stressed.
T.K. Ashok Kumar, Wildlife Warden, Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park, and B. Kathavarayan, Deputy Director of Fisheries, were also present in the meeting.
