Fishermen’s unions flay government for apathetic attitude toward fisher folk

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, Aug 9, 2011 :  Fishermen’s unions and associations all over India flayed the central government for the pathetic way in which it manages the coastline and for its continued refusal to act on issues affecting the fishing community. 

 

 

 

 

Speaking at a protest held at Bunder harbour today, Vasudev Boloor, the secretary of the Mangalore unit of the NFF, said that the quality of life of the members of the fishing community is reducing because pollution, degradation of coastal environment, over fishing and destructive fishing, lack of fishing resources, displacement of members of the fishing communities by sea erosion and large businesses, and decreased fish stock. He also pointed out the fact that 20 million people are dependent on coastal fisheries in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Gujarat, Pondicherry, Maharashtra, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, and Goa.

He complained that restrictions associated with state-sponsored conservation measures such as the establishment of sanctuaries, marine-protected zones, and tiger reserves are having an adverse effect on traditional fishermen.

He said that the central as well as the state governments have chosen to ignore the repeated appeals and demands of traditional fishermen, adding that politicians never keep their promises. The coastal regulation zone notification and marine fishing regulation acts are hardly implemented, he added, urging that these regulations should be implemented at the earliest possible.