Fishermen bodies protest against CRZ notification 2018

Kolkata: Various organisations of fishermen in the state have written to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate change (MoEFCC), protesting against the implementation of the Draft Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification 2018, as they claim it would affect the small scale fishermen in the state.

The organisations have alleged that the ministry has misused the power conferred on it by the law of the country. The Environment Protection Act of 1986, under section 3, provides the Central Government with the provision to take measures "for the purpose of protecting and improving the quality of the environment and preventing, controlling and abating environmental pollution".

But the Central government has shamelessly used it to relax restrictions on activities detrimental to coastal environment and further open up the coast for exploitation by business and corporate houses, alleged the organisations.

According to Debasis Shyamal, vice-president, Dakshinbanga Matsyajibi Forum (DMF), the MoEFCC did not consult the small and traditional coastal fishing communities, while preparing the draft. The draft CRZ Notification 2018 fails to recognise major roles of small and traditional fishing communities in implementation and monitoring of CRZ regulations.

"The small and traditional coastal fishing communities are by far the largest primary stakeholders and natural custodians of our coastal resources," Shyamal said.

One of the main proposals is to reduce the CRZ area related to tide influenced water bodies (rivers, creeks, backwaters etc). It has also sought to include vacant areas falling within a municipal or notified urban area in CRZ-II.

It proposes to put land reclamation for commercial purposes (shop, housing complex, hotel, entertainment) outside prohibition. Thus, it paves the way for widespread encroachment of coastal waters, alleged DMF. It also proposes to permit tourism activities even in mangrove areas, CRZ-IA (mangrove walk, tree houses and nature trails. Section 5.1.1). It thus opens the way for encroachments, even on mangroves.

It proposes to allow heavy industries including oil and natural gas extraction, nuclear plants, manual mining of radioactive minerals and even multi-nodal railway links with cooling facilities for thermal power plants, even in the inter-tidal zone (CRZ-IB).

Fishermen also urged the Centre to revoke the instant draft CRZ Notification 2018 and take immediate steps towards enactment of a comprehensive Coastal Regulation Zone Act.