Fishing is the birthright of fishermen communities and no government policy can deprive them of it, said S Sharma MLA, former fisheries minister. Sharma was inaugurating the “Jalayatra” (waterway procession) organised by Kerala Swathanthra Malsya Thozhilali Federation (KSMTF) on Thursday at Kochi in protest against several governmental policies which they feel are alienating fishing communities from fishing resources, water bodies and the coast. The major demands of the Jalayathra are to ban passage of cargo ships close to the shore, immediate cancellation of sea filling and land reclaiming for commercial purposes, cancellation of the seaplane project and to provide compensation to the fisherfolk who will be displaced upon implementation of the national waterways project.
The Jalayathra, led by T Peter, national secretary of the National Fishworkers Forum, is scheduled to end on Sunday evening at Shangumugham, Trivandrum and will cover important fishing community habitats like Chellanam, Arthungal, Chulatheruvu, Kayamkulam, Chavara fish landing centre, Ashtamudi fish landing centre, Shakthikulangara, Neendakara, Vadi and Anchuthengu. The former fisheries minister pointed that the capitalist policies of the government are alienating fishing communities as well as damaging ecology in an unprecedented and massive scale.
“Certain policies enacted by the government give us a feeling that traditional fishing community is a non existing entity. The government should immediately intervene to address the issues raised by KSMTF”, he said.Dominic Presentation MLA echoed Sharma’s view, and said “There is some disagreement at the higher level in allowing the movement of cargo ships near the shore. Some studies say that this can help to reduce road traffic and some experts also add that this is an economically advantageous option. But if this is damaging to the livelihood of fish workers, government should reconsider it immediately”.
C R Neelakandan, the noted environmental activist said, “It is highly unfortunate that government is madly pursuing regressive policies that are destroying the livelihood of the fish workers.
The seaplane project announced by government can damage the ecology in an irreparable manner”, he said.
P P John, state president of the KSMTF alleged that the governmental policies are systematically ruining the livelihood of the fish workers.