After the textile traders, fishermen in Gujarat have demanded rollback of 5 per cent GST on dry fish, saying that the new tax regime has affected the livelihoods of thousands of women who work on fish drying yards and small traders. They also demanded that pollution-causing industrial units that are located along the coastline need to be closed. Hundreds of representatives of fishing community and those associated with fish trade made the demands at a convention held last week in Porbandar. The GST has forced the traders to increase the price. This has led to a fall in the demand, resulting in around 30 per cent drop in prices subsequently. If the GST is not withdrawn, the industry of dry fish will collapse, thereby affecting livelihoods of thousands, said Sunil Gohil, president of Saurashtra-Kutch Dry Fish Merchant Association. The Porbandar Declaration called for halt on all the proposed industrial projects located along the coastline unless they took into account interests of fishermen and complied with laws. It also demanded a ban on discharge of industrial effluents into the open ocean and closure of plants that have a track record of non-compliance. It also demanded a ban on discharge of industrial effluents into the open ocean and closure of plants that have a track record of non-compliance. We have witnessed degeneration of marine ecology and subsequent impact on fish population off the coast of Gujarat due to the industrial development and pollution. Despite our complaints, the Central government and Gujarat bureaucracy are determined not to take any action, the declaration read, demanding. Despite our complaints, the Central government and Gujarat bureaucracy are determined not to take any action, the declaration read, demanding closure of plants that have track-record of non-compliance. They also demanded that the government should raise the daily allowance given to a fishermen arrested by Pakistani agencies.