Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project (ICZMP) not beneficial for fishermen: NFF

Chairperson of National Fishworkers' Forum Matanhy Saldanha inaugurating a processing and procurement centre of Samudram during his visit to Ganjam district .

BERHAMPUR: The much-publicised World Bank-sponsored Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project (ICZMP), aimed at providing alternative livelihood to traditional marine fishermen, would no way benefit the fisherman community, said National Fishworkers' Forum (NFF) president Matanhy Saldanha. During his visit to Orissa, Mr. Saldanha also evaluated the practical efficacy of the ICZMP. In Ganjam district, he inaugurated procurement and processing unit of marine produce of Samudram, a women's organisation of fisherwomen at Bandar.

He alleged that the ICZMP initiatives were nothing but an effort to detach marine fishermen from their traditional livelihood and in the long run to remove them from the coastal area. He said this ICZMP had been prepared without any consultation with the fishermen community.

“A project like ICZMP, which is chalked out by the persons who have little knowledge about ground realities is surely aimed at something else other than the benefit of the proclaimed beneficiaries,” he said. He cited the example of promotion of dry fish production and marketing through ICZMP among the families living near Rushikulya rookery in Ganjam district.

“When fishing is banned in this area for more than six months in a year, the planners did not take into account how these fisherfolk would get ample fish for the project and it hints at lack of relation of the project with ground realities,” he said. The ICZMP programme only stresses on providing support and training for production of dry fish but provides no scope for its proper marketing although similar project by State Fisheries Department has failed in the past due to marketing failure, the NFF leader said.

Firewood

He said the NFF was continuing to demand that the fishermen need to have right to fish and right to operate their traditional fishing boats in sea rather than proposals of alternative livelihood which was quite impractical in nature. As the planners of the project did not have direct link with the fishermen of the coast, they could not realise that one of the major means of sustenance for fishermen family was firewood.

The ICZMP planners could not think of growing vegetation on the coast which could be used as firewood by the fishermen families. It could have been a major boost to coastal environment and sustenance of fishermen, he said. He also cited an example where 15 fishermen families with more than 70 members had been attached to a single pond in the name of alternative livelihood, which according to him was quite impractical.

The ICZMP was nothing but the long-term implementation of ‘anti-fishermen' policies to promote industries and Special Economic Zones in the coastal belts, Mr. Saldanha said.

The NFF president said they had given detailed recommendations and feedback while the CRZ 2011 was being formulated. He alleged that most of their recommendations were ignored. It may be noted that the NFF has termed the new CRZ notification as mere eyewash and a ploy to rob traditional fishermen of land. The NFF decided to take up mass movement in Orissa against the subtle efforts to detach fishermen from their traditional livelihood and land, the NFF president said.