NFF wants Separate Fisheries & Welfare Ministry as Assured by PM
National Fish workers Forum (NFF) wants Separate Fisheries & Welfare Ministry as Assured by PM Narendra Modi in the “Man ki baat” programme, the PM had that the said Ministry, will be initiated as soon as the BJP wins the elections. NFF hopes that the promises are fulfilled.
Goa: National Fish Workers Forum (NFF) Vice-Chairperson Olencio Simoes congratulates new government for the mandate given to them and hopes that they will work for the communities working to protect the natural resources and the communities dependent on them.
At the executive committee of the National Fish workers Forum (NFF) held at the Government tourist Home, Uppalam, Puducherry-1, it was resolved that the separate Fisheries and Welfare Ministry has to be formed to solve the fishing community problems of India and in the Man ki baat, the PM had recently promised that the above will be initiated as soon as the BJP wins the elections. NFF hopes that the promises are fulfilled.
NFF has demanded that the new Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification 2019 issued by the Government of India on 19th January 2019 has to be withdrawn with immediate effect as dilution of CRZ is in violation of Section 3 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 . The Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) 2019 will be like a dark era for India as coastal communities like fishermen , toddy tappers, farmers ,tourism, etc will be displaced as the No Development Zone is reduced to 50 mts from 500 mts.
File Photo : NFF Vice-Chairperson Olencio Simoes during Press Meet in Mangaluru
National Fish workers Forum(NFF) stated that all Sagarmala programme plans and projects should be withdrawn as it will root out livelihoods of traditional fisher workers. This projects will only benefit big corporate lobby as under Blue revolution the government plans to facilitate sea-weed, pearl farming, aquaculture etc, Bharatmala projects plans to build 60,000 km road network, Sagarmala programme plans to double port capacity, build coastal cities, coastal transport, coastal industrialization, inland waterways etc which is completely against the interest of the coastal environment and the all Coastal communities of India.
NFF noted that cyclone like Fani have created devastation in Odisha and wants central government to intervene and provide immediate compensation to the fishing community so that they can go back to the sea. NFF stated that Ockhi, Gaja, Fani cyclone etc have created huge loss to the fishing communities of India and therefore it is the need of the hour that the present government formulate Separate “Fisheries disaster management fund” to compensate their losses during natural calamities. The draft Mari culture policy is indeed a huge concern to the communities as it is another ploy which will be affecting the livelihoods of the small scale fish-workers and is a move to privatize the waters and to hand it over to the corporates.
Vice-Chairperson Olencio Simoes said that NFF will be soon convening to implement the decisions and also update the Ministry its demands to echo the sentiments of the fish-working communities in the ground.
Chairperson Narendra Patil,General secretary T.Peter,Vice-Chairperson Olencio Simoes, Vice-Chairperson Dr.Kumarvelu,Venkatesh Permal President of Pondicherry Union were present at the press conference .
Report submitted by : Vice-Chairperson- Olencio Simoes
