"No" to bull trawling
Indian fisherfolk are on the warpath once again, targeting joint venture trawling in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The National Fisheries Action Committee Against Joint Venture trawling (NFACAJV), an umbrella body of various fishing communities, has given the call for a week-long strike and the blocking of all fishing vessels coming into Bombay, Kandla, Vasco, Tuticorin, Para deep and Kochi from November 23. The fishworkers will also picket government offices and those of the fisheries departments in these centres.
The latest call is in protest against the Centr3l food processing ministry's refusal to fully implement the deci- sions taken on May 18, 1995, to with- draw licenses for bull-trawling. The fisherfolk want the reconstituting of the - Deep Sea Fishing Review Committee, and insist that no fresh licenses be issued. The NFACAJV says trawling will "deplete and pirate the fish resources and ruin the livelihood of more than 80 lakh workers."
NFACAJV convenor, Thomas Kochery accused Central food processing minister Tarun Gogoi (lately resigned), of reneging on promises about no new licenses being issued. He also alleges that instead of reconstituting the review committee, the government had merely expanded it, because P Murari, the bureaucrat responsible for introducing the policy which the fisherfolk decry, remains a member of the committee.
This time around, the mainstream trade unions, the National Centre of Labour (the apex body of unorganised-sector trade unions) and the National Alliance of People's Movements too are siding with the NFACAJV.
- MADHUMIA DUTTA