Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, Nov 18: General secretary of the Coastal Karnataka Fishermen Action Committee Vasudev Boloor said, that the National Fishworkers Forum will meet on December 13  to decide on future plan of action against the Coastal Management Zone(CMZ) notification that replaces the Coastal Regulatory Zone.

Speaking to the presspersons here on Sunday November 16, Boloor said that the Forum's demands are being considered by the union government and that the fishermen hope to get favourable consideration of severalof their demands. He also added, that the coastal fishermen have hope in the form of an assurance given by the union minister Oscar Fernandes that he would take up their demands with the concerned.

Elaborating on the present status of the agitation launched by the fishermen, Boloor said that the fishermen had suspended their agitation because of positive indications emanating from the centre. " If the scenario is not encouraging, we will decide to intensify the agitation at the meeting on December 13," he explained.

The fishermen have been demanding for the withdrawal of the CMZ notification and streamlining the policy of sanctioning fuel at reduced rates to the fishermen.  Another important demand is an added thrust to the efforts by the government to get jailed fishermen released from the Pakistan and Srilankan jails.  The issue of fishing by foreign ships off the Indian shores is another contentious issue that the fishermen want the government to solve to their advantage.