The National Fishworkers Forum annual general body meeting at Ernakulam, Kochi has re-elected Olencio Simoes Vice-Chairperson and Narendra R Patil and T Peter have been elected as the Chairperson and General Secretary. Olencio Simoes Vice-Chairperson along with the elected committee In the concluded vowing to address the coastal communities concerns across the states commemorating the Kanyakumari March of 1989. Protect Water, Protect Life will be the slogan of the march in 2020 which will be addressing the current scenario revealing the complete dispossession and alienation of coastal and marine commons (oceans, seas, beaches seashores, lagoons, salt marsh lands, sand dunes, estuaries, river banks, lakes, and other inland water bodies). NFF vounch to oppose rapid the anti-environment and anti-development policy shifts from 2014 – 2019 which began with Neel Kranti (Blue Revolution) 2016, National Marine Fisheries Policy 2017, National Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy 2018, Revised National Policy on Mariculture 2019, Department of Fisheries 2019 and continues with the Blue Economy ‘Vision for the Decade’ Budget. The Ministry‘s Mega Projects like Sagarmala Programme- Port-led for Economic prosperity, National Coastal Mission- ICZM Project Phase II, Deep Ocean Mission (DOM), Swadesh Darshan Scheme(Coastal Tourist Circuits), Blue Flag Certification for Beaches, Lighthouse Heritage Beautification Projects, Offshore Wind and Solar Energy Projects(Blue Energy), 106 Coastal and Marine Sites as Conservation Reserves, Inland Waterways Project, Expansion and Moderation of Naval Base and Berths are also instances in the way where the fisher communities and the environment are not in the centre of this development model. Legal Additions and Dilutions in Marine Fisheries Regulation and Management Bill 2019, Coastal Regulation Zone 2019, National Marine Fisheries Policy Action Plan (yet to release) were also in the discussion from the lens of the fishing community. The central government policies on the inter-linking of rivers and nationalization of 111, Major Port Authorites Act 2016 to 12 major ports in India and the plan to implement Mariculture project inclusive of the solar floating panels and the sea-based windmill projects to generate electricity are all detrimental and damaging to the small-scale artisanal fishing communities. The conference saw deliberations about the possibilities of drafting a bill addressing and safeguarding the rights of Historical fishing communities and other traditional coastal communities. In this regard the NFF will be having consultations with the communities across the coastal states. Olencio Simoes also said that all coastal states decided to ban all destructive gears and Maharashtra,Goa and Karnataka will meet Central Minister of Animal husbandry, dairying and fisheries Giriraj Singh and Pratap Chandra Sarangi Minister of state of Animal husbandry, dairying and fisheries to immediately Ban Led lights,bull trawling,high speed engine and trawling. Olencio Simoes also warned and demand that the fisheries Minister filip Neri to immediately act against Led light fishing or face law order situation in the state of Goa, as because of few selfish Goan pursie owners using banned gears like LED lights,bull trawling, high speed engines has no only deprived traditional fisherman from daily catch but also has destroyed the entire marine resources from west coast. Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android
