Industrial growth squeezing Gujarat fishers off shore, say community leaders

Gandhinagar: Industrial development along Gujarat’s coastline is increasingly squeezing traditional fishing communities out of their spaces on land, with violations of Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms and delays in finalising Coastal Zone Management Plans (CZMPs) emerging as major threats to their livelihoods, fishermen’s representatives have told Union govt.The concerns were raised during a community consultation held in Mangrol recently as part of the process to formulate the National Plan of Action (NPOA) for sustainable fisheries and implement the voluntary guidelines for small-scale fishers (VG-SSF). More than 100 representatives of traditional, motorised and mechanised fishing communities, including women, from Gujarat’s coastal districts participated in the exercise.“Fishermen put forth their argument that industrial expansion along the shoreline was eating into the space available to fishing communities, while activities such as line trawling in near-shore waters and discharge of industrial effluents were damaging marine resources,” said the president of a fishermen’s association who was part of the deliberations. Fishermen also called for stricter enforcement of CRZ regulations, protection against displacement and preferential access to fishing resources.Another key recommendation was to clearly define who qualifies as a small-scale fisher (SSF) under the proposed national framework. “While participants did not arrive at a single definition, there was unanimity that deep-sea fishing vessels exceeding 24 metres in overall length and purse-seiners should not be included in the small-scale fishing category,” said a source.The participants also emphasised that the NPOA should cover not just boat owners but everyone directly engaged in fishing and allied activities, including migrant workers employed on fishing vessels.Damodar Chamodia, president of the Mahavir Machimar Sahakari Mandali, Mangrol, which facilitated the consultation, said that a large number of fishermen, representing associations from Jafrabad to Beyt Dwarka, participated in the meeting. “We put forth our representations to the authorities and hope our recommendations will be included in the NPOA,” he said.According to official sources, there are about 5.50 lakh fishermen in the state, of whom over 2.50 lakh are active fishermen residing in over 1,000 villages along the state’s coastline. These fishermen have over 35,000 fishing boats, including mechanised and non-mechanised boats.You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Ahmedabad | Silver Rate in Ahmedabad | Bank Holidays in Ahmedabad | Public Holidays in Ahmedabad | Ahmedabad AQI | Weather in Ahmedabad | Petrol Price in Ahmedabad | Diesel Price in Ahmedabad | CNG Price in Ahmedabad | LPG Price in AhmedabadStay updated with the latest Ahmedabad news. Download the TOI App.