[Reader-list] Move to ease coastal regulations opposed

[T Peter]

Move to ease coastal regulations opposed
<http://www.thehindu.com/profile/author/T.Nandakumar-1353/>

T.Nandakumar <http://www.thehindu.com/profile/author/T.Nandakumar-1353/>

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/move-to-ease-co
astal-regulations-opposed/article18143499.ece

UPDATED: APRIL 19, 2017 19:15 IST

Fishers say proposed notification would impact coastal ecology and
livelihoods


Coastal communities and advocacy groups campaigning for fishers’ rights
have raised strong objection to the government move to replace the Coastal
Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification, 2011 with a new enactment allowing land
reclamation and diversion of coastal land for commercial use. Fishermen’s
organisations fear that the proposed notification based on the
recommendations of the Shailesh Nayak committee, set up by the Ministry of
Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) to review the CRZ norms,
would lead to uncontrolled development, impacting on the marine and coastal
ecology and jeopardising their livelihood.


The National Fishworkers Forum (NFF) has condemned any move to dilute the
CRZ 2011 notification. NFF general secretary T.Peter said the forum would
spearhead a nationwide agitation against the proposed notification. The NFF
executive which met at New Delhi on March 31 called on the government to
recognise the rights of the fishermen community over coastal land and
ensure their livelihood security while making changes to existing rules. It
also stressed the need to take the community into confidence on the
proposed changes.

The Kerala Swathantra Matsya Thozhilali Federation alleged that the move to
dilute the CRZ norms would lead to large-scale reclamation and
appropriation of coastal land by the construction and tourism lobbies. The
federation also fears that the new notification would regularise the
violations of CRZ norms.


The Shailesh Nayak committee had recommended lifting of the curbs on
housing and slum redevelopment in CRZ 2 and tourism in CRZ 3 areas. It also
proposed the reclamation of the seabed in CRZ 4 areas for ports and
harbours, and other infrastructure required in the larger public interest
such as bridges, sea-links, roads, coastal security installations and
tourism. According to a series published by the Centre for Policy Research
(CPR) - Namati Environmental Justice Programme, opening up the coasts for
more commercial and tourism projects would mean bigger costs and risks for
the fishing and coastal communities whose lives and livelihoods are closely
tied to the ecological health of the coast and unrestricted access to
common spaces like beaches and estuaries.


The document points out that the failure to engage stakeholders in framing
the new regulations would spell the end of an era of participatory coastal
planning.