[Reader-list] Centre May Retract Draft Marine Fishing Policy

[T Peter]

Centre May Retract Draft Marine Fishing Policy
http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/thiruvananthapuram/Centre-May-Retract-Draft-Marine-Fishing-Policy/2016/03/15/article3327899.ece

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:  The Central Government may backtrack on the draft
Marine Fishing Policy, considering the upcoming state elections in the
coastal states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and West Bengal.

Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh has promised that the
government would reconsider the draft and include the concerns raised by
fishermen, says T Peter, secretary of National Fishworkers Federation
(NFF). He was part of the delegation that met the minister.

Peter says that the government cannot ignore the concerns of fishermen when
the elections are round the corner. Elections in five states - Assam, West
Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry - will be held between April 4 and
May 16.

A detailed discussion with the minister and higher officials will be held
to sort out the issues. If the fishermen manage to change the policy it
will be the third such victory after successfully thwarting the Meenakumari
Committee report on deep sea fishing and the Syda Rao Committee report on
uniform trawling ban season submitted during the BJP government.

The change in government attitude has surprised even the fisherfolk. “In
usual situations it would be tough to get a favourable response from the
government. But our protest in New Delhi on March 10, in which  800 strong
protesters from all coastal states took part, managed to get the attention
of the government,” says Peter.

According to him the highest participation came from the BJP-ruled Gujarat
and Maharashtra. The Central Government has constituted a seven-member
expert committee, headed by Director General of the Indian Council for
Agricultural Research, S Ayappan, to revise the existing policy of 2004.

The drafting process has been criticised by various fishermen organisations
for excluding people who are directly affected by the policy.

The fishermen have even forced the state government to inform the Centre
that it would take a stand after consulting the stakeholders.

Fishermen organisations have put the BJP in the dock stating that the
government should follow the draft prepared by the party in 2012. “The BJP
national policy on fishing and fishermen presented by Nitin Gadkari at the
time of the UPA government should be the base document for the expert
committee,” says Peter.

The other demands of NFF include bifurcating the Union Agriculture Ministry
to create a separate ministry for fisheries and fishermen welfare. It also
wants that the fisher communities living in India be enlisted as Scheduled
Tribe, as recommended by the Mandal Commission.

*draft  Row*

   - Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh has promised that the
   government would reconsider the draft and include the concerns raised by
   fishermen, says T Peter, NFF secretary
   - A detailed discussion with the minister and higher officials will be
   held to sort out the issues
   - The drafting process has been criticised by various fishermen
   organisations for excluding people who are directly affected by the policy