The National Fishworkers Forum (NFF) on Monday resolved to resist and push for the roll-back of policies and projects that threaten coastal and marine ecologies that sustain lives and livelihoods of fish workers.
On World Fisheries Day, NFF organised protests across the nine coastal States.
In Kerala, the Swanthanthra Matsya Thozhilali Federation held a ‘sea satyagraha’ with a single demand to withdraw the Vizhinjam project.
The project, according to the Federation, has caused extensive environmental damage and displacement. In the aftermath of recent floods, the project makes people even more vulnerable to disaster and climate change related impacts.
The Maharashtra Machchimar Kriti Samiti along with Wadhavan Bandar Virodhi Sangharsh Samiti held a rally and meeting demanding the roll back of the Wadhavan Port and the proposed refinery coming up in the coastal region.
The Dakshin Banga Matsya Jeevi Forum in West Bengal warned the government to withdraw initiatives to marginalise the small-scale fish workers.
In Tamil Nadu, fishers’ unions were resisting the draft CZMP 2019 released by Department of Environment for public consultation. They demanded State authorities to revisit CRZ 2019 and draft CZMP 2019 to secure the traditional rights of fishers.
The Traditional Fishworkers Union in Andhra Pradesh, and the unions in Puducherry and Odisha gave strong warning to the anti-fishing community policies.
Leo Colaco, chairperson and Olencio Simoes, general secretary of National Fishworkers Forum said NFF celebrates World Fisheries Day to commemorate the formation of the Global Fisher Movement that began in New Delhi in 1997.