Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Call to lift ban on sea cucumber fishing
 Date:30/09/2010 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2010/09/30/stories/2010093059110300.htm Back Tamil Nadu - Ramanathapuram
 DEMAND:Members of the Joint Committee of Fishermen Associations staging a demonstration in Ramanathapuram on Wednesday. RAMANATHAPURAM: Fishermen under the aegis of Joint Committee of Fishermen Associations staged a demonstration here on Wednesday demanding the State and Central government to lift ban on sea cucumber fishing. A. Palsamy, president, Ramanathapuram Fishermen Trade Union, presided over the agitation. A large number of fishermen, without minding the rain, took part in the demonstration and raised slogans against the governments. They also accused the forest department officials for booking fishermen for netting sea cucumber. They said that the livelihood of fishermen had become unviable due to the ban on sea cucumber netting. It was one of the very few items that fetched nominal remuneration to the fishermen. It was incorrect to claim that it was an endangered item as sea cucumber was plenty in Gulf of Mannar and other parts. Many fishermen were facing legal battle for catching sea cucumber, who were booked under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972. They warned that they would continue to indulge in agitations demanding the government to lift ban on sea cucumber fishing. © Copyright 2000 - 2009 The Hindu |
Lift ban on harvesting sea cucumber: Fishermen
By Express News Service
30 Sep 2010 01:11:25 AM IST
Lift ban on harvesting sea cucumber: Fishermen
RAMANATHAPURAM: The government should lift the ban on netting sea cucumber, as this species provided a livelihood for many families of fishermen, Paulsamy, president of Ramanathapuram District Fish Workers Trade Union (RFTU), demanded, here on Wednesday.
After leading a demonstration near the new bus stand, Paulsamy told media persons that though the State had a long coast, the fishermen were allowed to fish only in limited areas of waters and the GOMBRT had banned the fishing of a variety of marine species. Many fishermen had been jailed for netting sea cucumbers and fined by GOMBRT, leaving many families in dire straits.
Over 10,000 fishermen and 2 lakh allied workers depended on sea cucumbers for their livelihood in the district. Scientists and experts had assured their fishing would not deplete sea cucumber.
He warned that if government failed to withdraw the cases against innocent fishermen, they would launch agitations, including rail roko and demonstration opposite central government offices, shortly.
They would also be forced to boycott the ensuing Assembly elections, he said.
© Copyright 2008 ExpressBuzz
Monday, September 27, 2010
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Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Monday, September 6, 2010
Gulf of Mannar trust to erect monitoring sheds
By S Raja
07 Sep 2010 11:45:00 PM IST
07 Sep 2010 11:45:00 PM IST
Gulf of Mannar trust to erect monitoring sheds
RAMANATHAPURAM: The Gulf of Mannar National Marine Park (GOMNMP) has decided to erect thatched monitoring sheds in all fish landing centres in the district.
The Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve Trust (GOMBRT) is functioning as an implementing agency for the government and it arranges training for youths and girls belonging to the fishermen community.
Meanwhile, some fishermen are brazenly violating the government rules against the use of banned nets affecting fish as well as marine fauna and flora. Some fishermen are also collecting banned marine species including coral reef.
Therefore, the Gulf of Mannar National Marine Park has decided to launch a pilot project by erecting thatched sheds in the fish landing centres to watch the boats to see if they were carrying banned items.
The Gulf of Mannar National Marine Park had already established thatched monitoring sheds at Mandapam, Keelakarai and Cinna Erwadi sea shore. It also wants to erect the monitoring sheds at important sea shores where the mechanised boats are anchored. The country boats will also be monitored from the sheds.
It is said, that the watch sheds will be manned by two forest watchers and guards armed with powerful binoculars. Veerapattran, Assistant Conservator of Forests, told Express that it has been decided to increase the number of sheds in all fish landing centres in the district to prevent the illegal practices.
© Copyright 2008 ExpressBuzz
Fishermen want monthly grievance redressal meet
Today's Paper » NATIONAL » TAMIL NADU
Published: September 7, 2010 00:00 IST | Updated: September 7, 2010 04:31 ISTFishermen want monthly grievance redressal meet
PLea: Fishermen who came to the Collectorate to submit a petition to Tirunelveli Collector M. Jayaraman on Monday. — Photo: A. Shaikmohideen.
: Similar to the farmers' grievance redressal meetings being conducted at the Collectorate on the third Friday of every month with Collector chairing the proceedings, the district administration should also meet the fishermen every month to understand the problems being faced by them on the high seas as well as on the shores.
Submitting a petition to District Collector M. Jayaraman on Monday during the weekly grievance day meeting, the fishermen, accompanied by a couple of priests, said most of the coastal districts in the State were convening monthly grievance day meetings exclusively for the fishermen so that the fishers could air their genuine grievances in such meetings to find amicable solutions.
Moreover, such meetings also would enable the fishermen to bring to light the issues prevailing in their hamlets as well as the problems being encountered by them during fishing and marketing the catches.
Hence, the Tirunelveli district administration should also convene similar monthly meeting either on Tuesdays or Fridays as the district was housing more than 60,000 fishermen in as many as 12 coastal hamlets.
Immediate steps should be taken to sell 300 litres of kerosene at subsidized cost to every country-boat fishermen in their villages itself every month, as promised by the Tamil Nadu Government, they said.
Make fishermen welfare board operational
Today's Paper » NATIONAL » TAMIL NADU
Published: September 7, 2010 00:00 IST | Updated: September 7, 2010 04:30 IST“Make fishermen welfare board operational”
Hold fishermen meetings every week to redress grievances
AGITATION: Members of the Coastal People's Federation staging a demonstration in Tuticorin on Monday. — Photo: N. Rajesh.
: Representing the needs of the country boat fishermen here, members of the Coastal People's Federation pressed a charter of demands on Monday.
Spearheading the agitation in front of the Collectorate, M. Pushparayan, convener of the federation, demanded the intervention of the district administration in convening fishermen meetings to redress their grievances every week.
A population of over two lakh fisher folk is residing in Tuticorin. The fishermen's welfare board should be made operational under the Labour Department.
To identify the needs of the fishermen, authorities should take adequate measures to conduct mass contact programmes. The subsidy of diesel, the key resource for fishing boats, should be hiked from the existing scenario.
They also demanded kerosene subsidy for fishing by country boats. Besides, compensation for the cyclone-hit boats was sought.
Mr. Pushparayan said the government had assured release of compensation to the affected but there was no move as of yet. Since the government had enforced fishing ban under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 in the Marine Park area of the Gulf of Mannar, the livelihoods of the fisher folk were in dire strait. Hence, the government should lift the ban. He urged authorities to reconsider the government's proposed setting up of an industrial complex for manufacturing fishing related equipment at “Pidaneri” a place near Nazareth in Tuticorin.
The demands were represented to the District Revenue Officer D. Ravichandran in the form of a petition.
Friday, September 3, 2010
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