The National Fishworkers' Forum, a federation of state-level trade unions, has urged the Union Government to give serious thought to the long-pending demand for formation of a separate ministry at the central level for fisheries, as keeping fisheries within the purview of the Union Agriculture Ministry is leading to the gross neglect of the fisheries sector.

At a press meet here on Thursday, forum chairperson M. Ilango said a resolution was passed on the issue at the recent general body meeting of the NFF in Maharashtra. He said the issue brooked no further delay and the Narendra Modi Government should take cognisance of the just demand.

Deep sea fishing policy

Further, he said, the NFF also urged the Union Government to ignore the recommendations of the committee headed by Meena Kumari on the issue of deep sea fishing policy. The committee, he alleged, had not consulted the leaders of the fishermen community and therefore its recommendations were harmful to their interests.

He demanded that fishermen and women should be provided loans at 4 per cent by commercial banks and loan waiver should be effected periodically, as in the case of farmers' loans, as fishermen were in a worse position than farmers. He said the violators of the Coastal Regulatory Zone Act should be punished severely and the Government should take all steps to protect the fragile coastal environs and the fisheries resources.

Ilango said corporates should not be allowed in fisheries-related activities, as it would adversely affect the interests of fishermen. Further, he said the Union Government should not give any new letters of permit to any vessel, Indian or foreign, for deep sea fishing, as it would have a bearing on the interests of fishermen.

sarma.rs@thehindu.co.in

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