Though it has been conceived as a project to fuel port-led development by connecting India’s navigable waterways, fishers in the traditional sector find some proposals under Sagarmala a threat to their livelihood.
They feel the initiative will displace thousands of people who are into fishing and allied activities and damage marine wealth.
“We understand that the State has received the nod to launch coastal shipping services once the National Waterways are operational. But it will affect an entire community engaged in pelagic fishing as they won’t be able to cast their nets amidst cargo movement. Introducing shipping services shouldn’t be at the cost of our livelihood and if the route is within 21 nautical miles of territorial waters it will be disastrous,” says T. Peter, general secretary, National Fishworkers’ Forum [NFF].
Water metro
The community is equally apprehensive about the upcoming water metro project as it thinks it will render a lot of inland fishers jobless. “They are promoting shipping services and tourism, but can these sectors accommodate the fishers who lose their jobs?,” he says.
The fishers also think that these services will aggravate marine pollution through emissions, affecting sea biodiversity. “No study has been conducted on the environmental impact, including oil pollution, and how that will pose a threat to traditional fishers.”
Special zones
The National Policy on Mariculture (NPM), which aims to ensure sustainable farmed seafood production, is another area of contention as the fishers are not happy with the idea of having ‘special zones’ in the sea.
‘Consult us’
“Through various policies we are making it easy for the corporate to exploit our seas and waterbodies. We want the government to address all these issues and protect the fishing community. They should consult all stakeholders before implementing such projects and provide a plan to rehabilitate the affected fishers,” says Mr. Peter.
