THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The National Fishworkers Forum (NFF) and Kerala Swatantra Matsya Thozhilali Federation (KSMTF) have decided to launch a nation-wide agitation from February 25 in protest against some in the provisions of the recently published CRZ 2011 notification. This was decided at a meeting of the executive committee of the NFF at Chennai the other day.
The NFF is strongly critical of the way the Ministry of Environment and Forests had drafted the CRZ 2011 notification.
Despite the year-long process of public consultations and feedback taken for the pre-draft notification of May 2010, the Ministry had ignored the important suggestions of the fishermen community.
According to Kerala Swatantra Matsya Thozhilali Federation president T.Peter, the ministry did not restrict itself to the mandate provided by the Swaminathan Committee and made drastic changes in the CRZ.
The fishermen community had strongly protested against these changes. Following the protests, many State Governments and political parties had written to the Ministry of Environment and Forests in support of the stand of the fishermen community.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Karunanidhi wrote a personal letter to the Minister of Environment asking him to keep the notification in abeyance till the issues raised by the fishermen were resolved.
This resulted in the Ministry inviting the fishermen community representatives for talks in December last year.
The National Fishworkers Forum held four round of talks with the Ministry officials and even met the Minister thrice.
The Minister had assured them to make substantial changes in the draft notification which would reduce the negative environmental impact and also address the housing needs of fishing communities. However,the Ministry did not keep its word on some of its key assurances.