COASTAL PEOPLE’S FEDERATION
(Ramanathapuram,Thoothukudi ,Tirunelveli & kanyakumari Districts)
(Ramanathapuram,Thoothukudi ,Tirunelveli & kanyakumari Districts)
It is a network of CBOs, NGOs, Activists and Fisher Leaders from Ramanathapuram ,Thoothukudi ,Tirunelveli and kanyakumari Districts. (Four Districts.)
It is constituted for the welfare of the fishing communities, the conservation of GOM and protection of fishing rights and Livelihood rights. It will also address the developmental threats facing the GOM region.
We would like to make the following DEMANDS together and place them before the State Legislature and the State Government to redress the following grievances of the Fishing Communities during the Grant Demand Session on Fisheries (Budget Session) scheduled on 4th May, 2010.
1. We urge the Central Government to repeal and withdraw the proposed MARINE FISHERIES (REGULATION AND MANAGEMENT) BILL, 2009. We accuse the Central Government that it trying to implement the MAFIRMA bill 2009 through back doors by implementing 11th Five Year Plan.
2. We demand that the Central Government to make the CRZ Notification, 1991 in its original form without any amendments and make it an act and protect the coast and the fishing communities. Do not permit any constructions in the name of conservation and Development in any of the 21 islands of Gulf of Mannar.
3. We demand that the Government to implement the Murari Committee recommendations, 1997 without any delay to empower the traditional fish workers in deep sea fishing and to avoid resource depletion in the territorial waters.
4. In the name of national security, we ask the Central and state Governments not to penalize the poor and native fishing communities and impinge the rights of the traditional fishing communities.
5. In the name of conservation, we ask the state Government not to forbid the traditional fishers of the GULF OF MANNAR region from fishing in the region by deploying buoys around the 21 islands. It is the traditional fishers who have down the centuries have protected the biosphere and the ecosystem of the region. It is the government policies and market driven forces have devastated the wealth of the GOM region for their own interests. Any conservation effort should be undertaken with due /wide consultations of the primary stakeholders .i.e .the Native fishers. Human Beings should be at the centre of any conservation efforts. Eliminating the fishers from conservation efforts would be very futile. The intention of the Forest Department (GOMBRT) is trying to make the fishers as scapegoats and naming them as outsiders/aliens/culprits and letting the illegal coastal sand miners, hazardous industrial units go scot free. It is the already established industrial units or the proposed ones are to be termed as culprits in destroying the ecosystem/biosphere not the innocent fishers.
6. The Governments lavishly spending crores of money on coastal security .It establishes many number of marine police stations in the fishing villages without any consent of the communities. It is to be avoided and nothing should be enforced with force. We want to reiterate that Governments should realize that the National Coastal Security is not at all possible by eliminating the native fishers .We expect the Government to follow the examples of the Kerala State Government in approaching the national security issue by involving the Fishing communities – Article Attached.
7. We demand that the proper functioning of the Fishermen welfare board in the state as it is not operational since its inception. It must be activated with separate office, proper personnel and with sufficient funds in all the districts. The Government should provide individual family cards to access the benefits under the welfare board. We demand that the Government to reconstitute the Fishermen Welfare board committee members (who hail from fisher men unions nor the Business Magnets and the political party leaders who are not approachable)
8. We demand that the fishing /coastal communities should not be neglected and excluded in the Government welfare schemes especially Dr.Kalignar housing scheme as the Rajiv Gandhi Tsunami Rehabilitation Fund is closed. We demand that the Government should build houses for the fishermen families within 1000 metres under kalignar Housing Scheme. We would like to remind the Government that there are many more thatched houses are still in the coastal villages even after 6 years of Tsunami Rehabilitations.
9. We oppose all the “POWER CORIDOOR “Coal & Gas based Thermal power projects in the GOM region as they are a great threat to the biosphere as well as to fishing activities and to the communal harmony and coexistence of the poor fishers and the farmers and at large contribute to the global problem of GLOBAL WARMING. We demand that the Government to repeal the “POWER COORIDOR” projects in the region. We understand that the Power Corridor Projects depend entirely on the proposed Manapad Private Coal harbor which will affect the livelihood of the 23 fishing villages. .We demand that the Manapad Private coal harbour project to be dropped immediately. We propose that the Government to implement the ECO FRIENDLY POWER PROJECTS and to promote renewable source of energy.
10. We demand that the Government to implement strict pollution control measures/methods to the existing industries in the GOM region and to monitor them strictly. We ask the Government to educate and involve the local people/residents in pollution control operations and to punish the violators without any discrimination.
11. As we are already experiencing the global warming effects in the coastal villages of the GOM region, we urge the Governments to stop the indiscriminate mining of the coastal sand and thereby to conserve the corroding 21 coral islands of the region and protect the coastal communities from sea erosion.
12. We urge the Governments to ban the commercial sea weed cultivation in the name providing alternative IGPs as it is detrimental to the conservation efforts .Cultivation of Kappaphycus will bring disaster on our marine ecology and fishery economy.
13. We demand that the Mechanized fishermen to be provided Rs.4500 during the 45 days fishing ban in the year. It is to be given before the 10th of April, every year. It is to be provided like a salary as per the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.
14. We demand that the Government to set up FISH MARKETS - MEEN SANTHAI exclusively for women in all nearby UZHAVAR SANTHAI in all the districts in the state and provide free bus fare to the poor women fish vendors.
15. We demand that the proposed "தூத்துக்குடி மாவட்டம் சாத்தான்குளம் வட்டத்தில் உள்ள பிடாநேரி கிராமத்தில் மீன் தொழில் வளர்ச்சிக்கு ஏதுவாக மீன் குழும தொழிற்பேட்டை to be set up in one of the coastal villages of Thoothukudi district instead of PIDANERI Village, thereby to generate employment opportunities for the fishing community through the proposed project and to enable the project site to be easily accessible to fishing community to which it is meant.
16. We demand that the Government to provide adequate compensation to the fishermen, their boats, nets and OBMs and other Engines in all the natural calamities. We expect the Government to enact policies in this regard. We feel that the relief grant announced Rs.51.99 lakhs to the Thoothukudi Fishermen is not sufficient as there are severe causalities and damages. We request the Government to reassess the damages once again and do help the affected fishermen to resume their fishing activity.
17. We demand that the Government to protect and promote BIO SHIELDS such as sand dunes, mangroves, green covers for protecting the coast and the communities from sea erosion. By Extending the Green Cover, the Government can prevent fresh water resources along the coast.
18. We urge the Government to provide adequate drinking water supply to the fishing villages along the coast and Primary Health Centers in all the big coastal villages.
19. We demand that the Government to start /construct arts /technical/ colleges in the big coastal villages thereby to provide higher education to the students of coastal communities as there is none in the coastal areas.
20. We demand that the Government to allocate sufficient funds to coastal municipalities, panchayats to clean the fish landing centers from municipal waste, fish by catch waste, marine debris and plastic menace so that the fishing community can provide good /hygienic fish to the People. We also ask the Government to implement the solid waste management systems/practices in all the coastal villages & panchayats & towns to enhance marine conservation.
21. We demand that the Government to enroll and make all the Fisher Men and Fisher Women to be part of the Fishers’ cooperative society in the coastal villages and make all the Fishers’ cooperatives functional and let them be free from any political interference.
22. We demand transport facilities (Govt. buses specially designed to carry fish) especially for the FISH VENDORS who sell fishes to villages and nearby towns or EMPOWER women Fish vendor SHGs to avail subsidized loans for the Groups to carry out fish vending. It is these poor women who help the public to avail the fish. We ask the Government to consider pathetically the plight of the poor women and to grant them training in retail processing and selling instead of offering excess amount of subsidies to the BIG PROCESSING UNITS.
23. We demand that the Government to conduct FISHERS’ Grievances Meet in all the coastal Districts every month. Let the Government pass the necessary orders to all the coastal collectors to implement the meet every month without fail so that the fishers can build up a good rapport with the district administration.
24. We urge the State Government to cancel /waive off all the debts of the fishing communities /SHGs in the coastal villages incurred after Tsunami, 2004.
25. We expect the State Government to start sports’ units in the coastal revenue blocks to encourage the children of the coastal communities to learn various sports and games to participate in the sports events conducted at the district’s and state level.
26. We demand substantial Kerosene Subsidy for the all the traditional Fishers using OBM and all the beach landing crafts such as Fibre boats, Vallams, and Catamarans.
Kindly speak for the Voiceless and Marginalized Coastal communities.
Regards,
Pushparayan,
Convener, CPF.
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