PANAJI
The National Fishworkers Forum, a trade union federation of workers employed in the fishing industry and traditional fishermen, has hit out at the recent amendments to the Coastal Regulation Zone and have called on all the state units to organise protests against the move.
“It will not provide environmental protection or uphold traditional fishers’ rights and will, in fact, eliminate fishworkers from the coast and rivers,” Narendra Patil Chairperson of National Fishworkers Forum said.
The forum has decided to “strongly oppose” the draft Coastal Regulation Zone, 2018. On the 18th of April, 2018, the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) published a draft CRZ Notification, 2018 with a 60-day period inviting public comments.
“In light of the incumbent government’s whole-hearted embracing of the Blue Economy through its flag-ship Sagarmala programme, the NFF is well aware that this draft is intended to boost the programme. This is in addition to the unlawful and unconstitutional nationalization of 111 rivers which is in gross violation of United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People which was adopted by the UN General Assembly on September 13, 2007,” Olencio Simoes Vice-Chairperson said.
“This draft notification is an indication that if the coastlines are to act as the launch-pads of a new India, then they must be vacated of their traditional fishworker inhabitants and their customary rights,” the Simoes added.
The NFF has called for a National Consultation on 15th of May, 2018 in Mumbai with the aim to recreate the large-scale mobilisation in 2018 against the Coastal Zone Management notification.
The NFF has also declared the 5th of June, 2018 as a National Action Day against the draft CRZ, 2018.
It has demanded that the government recognise the inalienable Traditional and Customary Rights of fishworkers over coastal lands and waters and enact a national legislation for the conservation of coastal and marine biodiversity that inter alia protects traditional fish workers’ preferential access and historic use to coastal and marine resources.
“It has been a long-standing demand of the fishing communities that the existing CRZ notification, 2011 be replaced by a comprehensive Coastal Rights Act. In light of this, the release of this inopportune draft notification stands in conflict with the demands of the fishworkers of India,” the NFF has said in a statement.
The NFF calls upon the fishworkers, allies, environmental organisations and all political parties including the ruling and organise massive protests all over India.
