[Reader-list] Marine Act will harm fish workers: forum

[T Peter]

*Marine Act will harm fish workers: forum*

*Date:14/10/2009* *URL:
http://www.thehindu.com/2009/10/14/stories/2009101454860600.htm*
Ignatius Pereira

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NFF wants traditional fish workers out of Act’s purview

Forum to hold State, national-level discussions
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 KOLLAM: T. Peter, secretary of the National Fish workers Forum (NFF), has
said that The Marine Fisheries (Regulation and Management) Act 2009, in its
present form, will be strongly opposed by fish workers all over the country.
He added that the Act “appears to be completely inimical to traditional fish
workers.”

Talking to *The Hindu *on Sunday, he said the Kerala unit of the NFF would
hold a discussion on the Act in Thiruvananthapuram on October 16.

After that a national-level discussion would be organised at Puducherry on
October 27. Representatives from all coastal State units of the NFF would
attend the sessions. He said that NFF was the first forum to demand a Marine
Fisheries Act for India. “It was mainly to control the operation of foreign
fishing vessels on Indian waters. But, paradoxically the draft Bill contains
provisions that discourage traditional fish workers from deep sea fishing,
which in turn would help foreign fishing vessels to take over those waters.
The draft Bill even proposes docking facilities for foreign vessels,” he
pointed out.

The NFF wanted the traditional fishing sector to be excluded from the
purview of the Act, he said.

“These fishermen already have State government permits. Asking them to go
for a Central government registration is like asking vehicle owners to
cancel State registrations and take a Central one,” Mr. Peter said.

The Act would also nullify the Kerala Marine Fisheries Regulation Act 1980
and the Kerala Monsoon Fishery (Pelagic) Protection Act 2007. Moreover,
while the proposed Central Act mentions that the Coast Guard would be the
enforcement agency, it did not mention which would be the registration
agency.

“The draft Bill was prepared without consulting anyone from the traditional
fishing sector. Though the draft Bill is in circulation, the text is in
English. Traditional fishermen, who are the main stakeholders, must be given
a copy of the same in their language to understand things better and make
suggestions,” he said.

However, Mr. Peter said, the fishermen were willing to cooperate with
provisions of the Act that aimed at conservation and regeneration of fish
stock and ensure fishing in an environmentally sustainable manner, apart
from maintenance of law and order in the maritime zones of the country.