Fishermen's forum seeks CM's help to address livelihood threat

Kolkata: Dakshinbanga Matsyajibi Forum, an organisation that comprises numerous fishermen from Bengal, may seek Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's intervention to resolve issues that are jeopardising their livelihoods. Senior officials of the fishermen's forum are likely to submit a deputation to Banerjee stating many long-standing problems. The forum may also observe a protest to press for their demands.

According to the fishermen's forum, unchecked over-fishing by mechanized boats and destructive fishing by bottom trawlers leave very little fish near the sea shore for the small-scale fishermen.

Milan Das, the general secretary of Dakshinbanga Matsyajibi Forum, said pollution from industrial effluents, agricultural waste and municipal solid waste have sufficiently contributed in reducing aquatic life. Destructive fishing by bottom trawlers, purse seiners, LED lights and fish finders are leaving little fish resources for the future generations. Intensive prawn aquaculture has further degraded the coastal water quality.

Building unnecessary number of ports under Sagarmala project by the Centre for turning the rivers into navigation channels, power plants on the coast have resulted in the migration of lakhs of small-scale fishermen to various areas and sectors for employment.

The organization demanded that the small-scale fishing communities' right to water and fish resources must be recognized as inalienable livelihood rights. Fishermen also demanded that small-scale fishing communities should be given preferential access to marine fish resources over mechanised fishers and this should be ensured in the proposed National Marine Fishing Regulation Act.

The rights of small-scale fishing communities must be protected in sanctuaries, reserve forests and other protected areas.

The National Inland fisheries and Aquaculture Policy must be published incorporating protection of tenure rights of small-scale fishers and fish farmers on public and private water bodies, Das said.