KOCHI: Stakeholders in the fisheries sector have expressed concern over a provision in the recently released Draft National Mariculture Policy alleging that it would lead to the entry of corporates into the field, leading to loss of livelihood.
The policy aims to ensure sustainable farmed seafood production for food and nutritional security and to provide additional livelihood options to coastal communities. However, traditional fishermen fear that installing cages in the sea and protecting them would need huge investment and the coastal community would not be able to reap benefit from the initiative.
This will lead to the entry of big players and increase conflict in the sea. Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS) former Vice-Chancellor B Madhusoodana Kurup said the policy will not be beneficial to fishermen as they cannot afford the huge investment. “The objective of the policy is to ensure socio-economic uplift of fishermen. However, they will not be able to reap the benefit as it needs huge investment.
Naturally corporates will enter the field, which would lead to conflicts in the sea. Till now there are no restrictions on fishermen in catching fish from the open sea. However, the introduction of demarcated mariculture zones will restrict their movement and lead to conflict. The technology and investment needed for the project is very high and fishermen will not be able to afford it. Kerala coast is highly volatile and turbulent. So setting up mariculture cages in the coastal sea will be a challenge,” he said.
A SENIOR officer, who was part of the 14-member committee that prepared the Draft National Mariculture Policy, said all fears of the fishermen will be addressed. “We will be holding six stakeholder meetings across south Indian states to address the concerns of fishermen. Kerala’s annual fish production is 5.85 lakh tonnes and we have a huge demand,” said the officer.
“India’s consumption will be 18 million tonnes by 2019 and we have to increase mariculture to improve production,” he said. “The farms will be set up within 0 to 12 nautical miles from the shore. We have 8,118 sq km of sea and if we use one per cent of sea for mariculture we will need to start farming in 82 sq km. One cage with 6 m diameter will need 100 sq m space and we can install 8.2 lakh cages in this area. One cage can provide 3 million tonnes of fish a year,” he said. He said the CMFRI has already introduced cage farming in Visakhapatnam, Mandapam, Tirunelveli, Chennai and Veraval.
It is the fishermen who operate these units and they are happy with it, he said. However, the government should provide insurance coverage to the cage farms against threat and natural calamities. It is for the state government to identify demarcated zones and lease out the zones, said CMFRI principal scientist K Sunil Mohamed. “The challenges are in ensuring protection to farms. Kerala will have to bring in amendments to the Kerala Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture Act to facilitate cage farming in sea. To avoid conflict, the authorities will have to identify areas where cages can be installed. India will have to concentrate more on mariculture as catch from the open sea is declining,” he said. Matsya Thozhilali Aikya Vedi president Charles George said the government should engage cooperative societies of fishermen for open sea cage farming.
“If private players enter the field it will lead to conflicts and loss of livelihood for fishermen. Already the coastal community is in distress as marine resources are declining and the Coastal Regulation Zone restrictions are displacing them from the coastal areas,” he said.