Fishing activities across the Kerala coast came to a standstill on Thursday following a 24-hour strike by the Fisheries Co-ordination Committee – comprising fishermen, fishing boat and traditional canoe workers, and other stakeholder groups – in protest against the Centre’s move to give mining rights in the sea off Kerala coast.
Charles George, Convener of the Fisheries Coordination Committee said that the strike was total across the coastal areas with 125 fishing landing centres and processing units, retail outlets down their shutters. More than 3,000 mechanised trawling boats have also decided not to venture into the sea.
He alleged that the sea mining permission had been granted by the government without studying the environmental impact and in the absence of any public hearing on its impact. The permission given for sea mining will have far reaching consequences on their livelihood as the authorities had not taken the community into confidence before going ahead with the decision.
Kerala is the highest fish consuming State in India with a sale of around 2,200 tonnes per day. The market demand for fish is rising at a consistent rate with total landings in the fishing centres reaching over 9 lakh tonne per year, he added.
All the political parties cutting across party lines extended support to the strike that commenced from midnight on Wednesday. Kerala Catholic Bishop Council also raised their concern over allowing sea mining, saying that the move would have far reaching environmental consequences. It is against the goals set at the United Nations Rio Summit in 2012 to consider the health of oceans before exploiting it as source of income, the Bishop Council said.
The fishing community, according to Charles George, is also planning to organise Parliament march on March 12 with the support of political parties demanding withdrawal of mining rights off the Kerala coast.
