Conservation or Commercialisation?

COASTAL PEOPLE’S FEDERATION
– RAMANATHAPURAM & THOOTHUKUDI 28.05.2010 - 11 AM.

Conservation or Commercialisation?

CPF is against GOMBRT Director Aruna Basu Sarkar’s recent move /announcement to ban fishing in GOM islands from June first week onwards and opening up entry for tourists to visit 21 coral islands.
CPF questions and doubts very seriously of the real motive of GOMBRT Director whether she wants to conserve the biodiversity and ecosystem of the GOM region or to destroy it permanently by permitting tourism or other developmental activities into the islands.
The fishers and the coastal communities down the centuries have been protecting biodiversity of the GOM region even before the nation or Government could realize the uniqueness of the region and enacting the subsequent laws to protect the same.
The Government recently is coming forward in this 21st century with management plans or projects which really have disturbed the web of life in the GOM ecosystem. (INDO NORWEGION Fishing Technology, Mechanisation of boats, Coral Mining ,Industrialisation , Sand mining , Sethu Samudram Ship Canal project , Kappa Phycus Sea Weed Cultivation etc… ) The Government introduced schemes such as above have really vandalized the coast and devastated the pristine marine wealth.
It is the Governments that have corrupted the minds of the people (fishers) in the past 5 decades and have forced /trained the fishers to loot the wealth by motivating them to be export / market oriented otherwise even the mechanized fishers would not have turned marine destroyers.
It is very unfair that the traditional fishers who have been very eco friendly and sustainable in their fishing till today have been blamed and accused by the GOMBRT. It is they who fish only for livelihood not for the profit or market. As they are eco friendly and sustainable in their fishing, they are still contributing to the country’s total ¼ (25%) of export profit from fisheries.
It is they who have been the natural guardians of the GOM treasure and unpaid warriors of our coastal borders. If any plan of conservation or Management should begin from them. They should be at the centre of any conservation program. Without them, it is impossible for the GOMBRT /Government could manage it or even protected the coastal territory of our nation.
The Statement, the plans and the intentions of the GOMBRT Director have clearly violates the Right to life and Right to Livelihood guaranteed in the Constitution of India. It categorically denies the customary and traditional rights of the fishers over the territorial waters.
If she continues with such anti people and anti marine/ environmental policies and plans, she is creating a law and order problem and disturbing the peaceful coexistence in the GOM region.
How come suddenly the tourists have become more eco friendly than the native traditional fishers who cater for the marine wealth and who eke out a sustainable living relying /depending on the marine wealth for centuries?
It is a undeniable history in the world that wherever the tourism is permitted in the protected areas or National parks or eco sensitive areas, it has really done a great havoc to the environments.
CPF condemns the arrogant and undemocratic attitude of the GOMBRT Director, which hither to have been unheard of in this region. The Previous GOMBRT officials have been so democratic and open minded to carry out the Management Plans of the GOM region.
If she continues to function in such a style of management, we need to really question the need of the National Marine Park of GOM itself?
CPF will never accept such moves of the GOMBRT Director to prevent the traditional fishers to fish in the GOM region. CPF will mobilize traditional fisher people against such livelihood threats from the GOMBRT.
Regards,

Pushparayan
Convener /Secretary