Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, Aug 6: General secretary of the National Fisheries Workers Forum Vasudev Boloor informed, that the central government has decided to scrap the Coastal Management Zone (CMZ) plan that was to replace the earlier Coastal Regulatory Zone (CRZ), in view of widespread opposition from the fishermen for the plan, all over the country. He claimed that the minister of state in the union environment ministry, Jairam Ramesh, had revealed this to him and asked the fishermen not to get unduly perturbed over the implementation of CMZ.

Boloor said, the minister gave this assurance when a delegation of the Forum met the minister in New Delhi recently. He informed that a meeting of the fishermen leaders from Goa and Karnataka would be held in Goa on August 24. Likewise, region-wise meetings would be held in Mumbai, Tiruvanantapuram and Chennai. At these meetings, discussions about reviving of the erstwhile CRZ-1991 and the deficiencies in the proposed CMZ would be held. Central ministers have promised to participate in these meetings, he explained.

If the draft CMZ plan comes into force, the present protection extended to the fishermen up to 500 metres from the shore, will be withdrawn.  The fishermen also face the risk of being barred from conducting activities up to 12 nautical miles in the sea. Because of these problems, the Forum opposes the CMZ, he added.