[Reader-list] NFF submits proposals to Jairam Ramesh

[T Peter]

NFF submits proposals to Jairam Ramesh


Express News ServiceFirst Published : 13 Feb 2010 09:28:57 AM ISTLast Updated :

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: National Fishworkers Forum (NFF) has submitted a
proposal to Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests Jairam
Ramesh regarding measures to be taken to improve CRZ notification of
1991.

NFF secretary T.Peter, who is also the president of the Kerala
Swathanthra Matsyathozhilali Federation (KSMTF), said in the proposal
submitted to the Minister that Swaminathan Committee report had
strongly endorsed many of the demands raised by fishermen and
environmentalists during the anti-Costal Zone Management struggle.

The report has set a new broad-based agenda for the conservation of
the coast and the protection of habitat and livelihoods of fishing
community, he said.

Peter welcomed the suggestion of the Swaminathan panel for a separate
piece of legislation for the protection of rights of fishing
communities. However, the draft Bill, which is already in circulation,
is a poor adaptation of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional
Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006. The draft
Bill does not consider the specificities of fisheries and fishing
communities and the ground realities, he said.

The 25 amendments made so far lack legitimacy as most were made
without eliciting public response and were often meant to weaken the
notification, he alleged. He said that the state CZM Authorities
(CZMA) should be strengthened with technical and administrative human
resources. The interests of the fishing community are not normally
represented in CZMAs. So, more representatives of the fishing
community or fishermen’s organisation had to be included in the CZMAs,
Peter said.

A district-level mechanism under the District Collector should be set
up for the implementation, enforcement and monitoring of the CRZ
notification, he said.  He demanded the setting up of a task force for
the formulation of methods and guidelines for the implementation and
enforcement of CRZ notification, 1991. The task force should have
representation from fishing community organisations.  He said that the
rights of fishing communities to the coast had to be recognised.  All
areas of fishing communities in the CRZ that have been encroached upon
should be cleared of encroachments and handed over to the fishing
community. All existing houses of fisherfolk within 0-500 m should be
regularised.

The non-fisherfolk settled within 0-50 m should be immediately
evacuated, he said.  The fisherfolk within 0-50 m should be
rehabilitated within the CRZ area. Houses belonging to fishing
communities in the CRZ should not be transferred or sold to
non-fishing communities, Peter said.