[Reader-list] Fishermen threaten stir

T Peter peter.ksmtf at gmail.com
Fri May 7 18:30:55 IST 2010


Fishermen threaten stir
http://www.thehindu.com/2010/05/07/stories/2010050759330500.htm
Staff Reporter

KOCHI: Fishermen across the country will embark on an agitation
demanding better treatment from the Central and State governments.

Kerala Swatantra Matsyathozhilali Federation president T. Peter said
here on Thursday that fishermen who had a television set or a fan at
home had been categorised as above poverty line (APL), thereby denying
them the welfare benefits given to below poverty line (BPL) families.

“We are not getting our due share of kerosene and diesel because of
the apathy of the Central and State governments. But foreign trawlers
are getting diesel at a subsidy. The ban on constructing houses near
the coast has hit us in a major way,” he said.

Attempts were being made to scuttle the trawling ban during monsoon.
Traditional fishermen would not allow the ban to be lifted. The
proposed Central Bill regulating fishing along the coast would affect
small and medium fishermen, while encouraging foreign vessels to
exploit our coastal resources. The proposed Kerala Inland Fisheries
Bill 2010 too would badly affect fishermen.


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