Sri Vijaya Puram, November 1: The fishers in South Andaman spoke of the grave vulnerability of their livelihood in the absence of a legal right to access, use and protect the marine waters and fish resources. Fishers have called for compensation for all small-scale fishers during seasonal fishing bans and cyclonic weather. They said such support is needed to sustain households through lean periods.
The demands came at a one-day consultation meeting held on October 30 at TSG Emerald hotel, Sri Vijaya Puram. It was attended by 40 participants from ten fishing villages across South Andaman. The participants came from diverse groups, including women fish vendors, traders and migrant workers.
The consultation was facilitated by Mr. Pradeep Chatterjee, President of the National Federation of Small-scale Fishworkers (NFSF), with the support of the Dakshin Foundation team, the Bay of Bengal Programme Inter-Governmental Organisation (BOBP-IGO) and the Department of Fisheries.
The consultation with fishers is part of the process of drafting the National Plan of Action for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries (NPOA-SSF Marine) in India. The draft plan itself is based on the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries (SSF Guidelines), developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. The guidelines call for a bottom-up approach to policymaking, one that protects fish resources while safeguarding the rights and livelihoods of small-scale fishers and fish workers.
The consultation meeting covered a wide range of issues faced by fishers. While discussing social development and decent work, participants asked for an increase in the existing compensation of Rs. 3,000 per household per year for lean periods and for women and non-BPL small-scale fisher families to be included in compensation schemes. On governance of tenure and fishing policies, they asked for stricter enforcement of the separation of fishing grounds between small-scale fishers and mechanised boats as per the Andaman and Nicobar Marine Fishing Regulation. They asked for legal recognition of their rights to nearshore fishing grounds and to let fishers have a voice in shaping the fisheries management plans in the islands. Fishers expressed their concern about rapidly declining nearshore fish stocks, which have severely affected the livelihoods of small-scale fishers in recent years. They highlighted the threat of crocodile attacks as a major challenge to pursuing their livelihoods and stressed the need to address this issue effectively.
Women fish vendors highlighted the need for safe market spaces with basic facilities such as drinking water and toilets. They also felt that the current schemes and entitlements are not focused on small-scale fishers, especially women fishers.
Dr. Naveen Namboothiri, Founder Trustee of Dakshin Foundation and a member of the National Task Force (Marine) set up by the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying for drafting the NPOA, stated, “These consultations are a landmark opportunity for small-scale fish workers to raise their concerns and put them on record to shape the National Plan of Action for SSF in the marine fisheries sector in India.”
Similar consultations are being coordinated across all coastal states and islands by a consortium of fisher organisations and associations, supported by the BOBP-IGO and the Union Department of Fisheries.
An earlier consultation was held in Diglipur on October 13 for fishers of North and Middle Andaman. The inputs from fishers across both districts will feed into the draft National Action Plan.
