Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, Jul 4: Vasudev Boloor, secretary of National Fishermen Federation (NEF) informed, that the fishermen are totally against the implementation of the Coastal Management Zone (CMZ) in place of the erstwhile Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ), as proposed.

In a release, he stated that the fishermen from all over the country will be launching an indefinite agitation in front of the parliament at New Delhi from July 22, to press for their demand for the scrapping of the CMZ. This decision was taken at a Federation meeting held in Kolkata on June 28, he stated.

Boloor also said that the NEF demands for the removal of cess that is charged on the disel distributed to the fishermen, cancellation of licences issued to foreign trawlers to fish in Indian waters and implement a social security scheme for the fishermen in tune with the recommendations of the International Labour Organization.

Boloor welcomed the union government's decision to waive fishermen's loans along with loans availed by farmers. He demanded to bring even loans taken by women from the fishermen community who work as retail fish vendors under the purview of the loan waiver scheme.

He has requested the fishermen from the state to participate in the agitation in large numbers.