[Reader-list] All-party Team from Kerala to Apprise Modi of Fishing Ban Woes

[T Peter]

All-party Team from Kerala to Apprise Modi of Fishing Ban Woes

http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/All-party-Team-from-Kerala-to-Apprise-Modi-of-Fishing-Ban-Woes/2015/05/06/article2799388.ece

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister Oommen Chandy will lead an all-party
delegation to New Delhi to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to convey the
state's concerns regarding the controversial 61-day total fishing ban
declared by the Centre from June 1. ''We have not fixed any date. The
Cabinet will discuss the matter in detail on Wednesday,'' Fisheries
Minister K Babu said.

Stressing that they will defy the 61-day ''total fishing ban,'' fishermen's
organisations had on Tuesday demanded Chandy to lead an all-party
delegation to New Delhi at the earliest to meet the PM.Earlier in the day,
Fisheries Minister Babu, addressing a meeting of fishermen's organisations,
had announced that the state will opt for the regular 47-day trawling ban,
but will not enforce the 61-day fishing ban within its territorial waters
extending to 12 nautical miles. On the other hand, the state government has
no desire for an open conflict with the centre, he said, while adding that
the 61-day ban was ''impractical.''

The 61-day ban declared by the Centre will be in effect in the Exclusive
Economic Zone (EEZ), which extends beyond the 12 nautical miles, from June
1 to July 31. The regular trawling ban usually begins on June 15 and ends
on July 31.The organisations demanded the government to convey to the
Centre the ''social and economic'' fall-out of such an extended ban on
fishing. Alleging that the two-month ban was aimed at enabling foreign
trawlers to fish at will in Indian waters, they demanded protection by the
State Government for their fishing activity.

''We will not agree to such a ban. Our fishing activities are not confined
to just 12 nautical miles. The State Government should offer protection to
our fishermen. Additionally, they should send an all-party delegation to
New Delhi before June 1 to obtain a decision favourable to the state,'' V
Dinakaran, chairman, Matsyafed, said. National Fishworkers' Forum (NFF)
secretary T Peter said that the fishermen in the state will not pay any
heed to the 61-day ban.