Team Herald
PANJIM: On a day when PM Modi arrived in Brazil to attend the G-20 conference, the eyes and ears of Goan fisherfold and coastal communities were focused on a Goan, who was addressing the 8th World Forum of Fisher Peoples in Brasilia, Brazil.
Olencio Simoes, general secretary of the National Fishworkers Forum (NFF) and the Goenchea Ramponkarancho Ekvott (GRE), slammed the 'Sagarmala' project at the Forum, saying that it would devastate livelihoods of traditional fishermen.
His remarks were echoed by the members of the international fishing community, attending the event.
Addressing the 8th General Assembly of World Forum of Fisher Peoples (WFFP) in Brazil, Simoes said, “I appeal to the WFFP to raise the issue of Indian fishers to all international agencies like the UN etc.’
He further said, “Sagarmala plans can have a devastating impact on the livelihoods of traditional fishermen, climate change and the economy.”
Simoes also accused the Government of India for failing to take measures to stop erosion of coastline and instead building new ports across the country.
As 16 rivers in the country are already drying from Ganga to Vaigai, Indus, Ganges, Brahmaputra, Cauvery, Godavari, Krishna, Mahanadi, Pennar, Mahi, Tapi, Sabarmati and Narmada, Simoes pointed out that 42 per cent of the coastline is eroding rapidly.
But instead of solving the problem, the Government of India is building more new ports in Maharashtra's Wadhwan; Vizhinjam port in Kerala, Karwar in Karnataka besides Mormugao Port expansion plans in Goa.
The NFF general secretary further said that the WTO agreement on fisheries subsidies could cut all subsidies given to fishers for boats, fuel, nets, ice plants, processing units etc.
But this could only benefit China, which harvests around 1,19,43,625 tonnes of fish, which is 14.71 percent share of global marine catch and has an estimated subsidies share of estimated global subsidies of 32.7 percent.
In comparison, India's share in global marine catch is only 3.91 per cent (31,77,905 tonnes) and one percent of estimated subsidies share of estimated global subsidies.
“The WTO politics lead to weak rules for large players, but they punish small-scale fisheries guidelines in developing countries like India, which is clearly promoting industrial and commercial fishing,” Simoes said.
Deonarine Singh of National Fisherfolk Organisations (NFO) from Guyana, Azard Mohammed of Blue River Bamboo Cunipa Fishing Association (BRBCFA) from Trinidad and Tobago and Jason Jarvis of North American Marine Alliance (NAMA), USA, also appealed to the Government of India to stop ocean-grabbing and aquaculture, which is displacing Indian fisheries.
“It is painful to hear that the Indian government wants to privatise and concretise the coastline of 7,500-km and 111 rivers of India for blue economy projects like Sagarmala, which is displacing millions of fisheries,” Jarvis said.
He appealed to the government to support its marginalised fishermen, citizens of India, instead of selling everything to businessman Adani.
Deonarine Singh of National Fisherfolk Organisations, Guyana said that his country is already facing oil and glass exploration issues as this is displacing fishers and destroying the climate. He too appealed to the Government of India to drop all such plans in the country.
Delegates from over 50 countries are participating in the eighth General Assembly of WFFP, which concludes on November 21.