Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Traditional Fish Workers’ Union (OTFWU) has strongly opposed the Sagarmala Project of the Union Shipping Ministry saying that it would destroy the livelihoods of the fishermen and damage the marine ecosystem extensively.
It is clear that the unilateral decision of the Centre to create an exclusive shipping corridor 15 to 20 nautical miles off the coastline (the main area where fishing is carried out by both traditional and mechanised boats) is intended to protect the interests of shipping companies and ignores the interests of fishermen, said OTFWU President Prasanna Kumar Behera.
The sudden increase in mindless commercial activities on the Odisha coast will affect the coastal ecosystem, particularly the endangered Olive Ridley turtles and migratory birds, he added.
It is disappointing that no representative of fishermen were consulted by the Centre before the draft project was finalised, said OTFWU Secretary K Alleya.
“We also oppose the new CRZ norms issued in April 2018 to facilitate the Sagarmala Project. This new CRZ draft suggests decreasing the buffer zone area to 50 metres from the high tide line (HTL) as against the 2011 CRZ rules that allowed for buffer zones 500 metres from HTL,” he said.
It may be noted that the new CRZ would lead to ecological damage in areas classified as ‘most sensitive coastal zones’ where no development activities are permitted. We demand a ban on the 2018 CRZ draft and implementation of the CRZ Act 2011 to protect the ecosystem, Alleya said.
The OTFWU has been representing the interests of fishermen along the Odisha coast. The state wing of the National Fish Workers Forum (NFF) has also taken up the issue.
