The World Forum of Fisher Peoples, has urged payment of compensation for Indian fishermen who were shot at and killed by the Sri Lankan navy.
In a resolution adopted at its co-ordination committee meeting, recently held stated, The unfortunate truth is that the families of these fishermen who had been fishing for livelihood are not compensated sufficiently so that the children could continue with the education.
The World Forum of Fisher Peoples (WFFP) has demanded that sufficient and justifiable compensation be made to the families of these fishermen by the concerned governments.
The WFFP is now a global fisheries movement representing 40 million people in 37 countries.
The gathering of the World Forum of Fisher Peoples in Pondicherry has urged the governments of India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka not to arrest fisher people who cross maritime border while fishing for their livelihood.
Explaining the decisions taken at its co-ordination committee meeting, Muhammed Ali Shah, Co-chair of WFFP, said, on the issue of Indian fishermen who were shot at and killed by the Sri Lankan navy, the number is escalating and since 1984 and exceeded 600.
During the past days, leaders of the World Forum of Fisher Peoples (WFFP) have gathered in Pondicherry, to discuss the main challenges facing fisher folk across the world and how to confront these challenges.
The leaders of the WFFP traveled from the Caribbean, Honduras, Canada, Mauritania, Kenya, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. A key strategic decision at the meeting was to hold the coming 7th General Assembly of the movement in Delhi, India in 2017, the year of WFFPs 20th anniversary.
Muhammed Ali Shah has said that a permanent solution should be found to the fishermen incarceration due to crossing national border and entering the territory of neighboring nations. Mere promises for release of arrested fishermen are not sufficient and it is important that a policy decision is arrived at by these South Asian countries, he said and added that the boats seized should be released without further delay.
Shah demanded that the provisions of the UN Laws of the Seas be seriously and fully implemented by the countries with adjoining sea borders, especially in the South Asian context.
Shah said ocean grabbing — in the form of privatisation of coastal lands and marine protected areas — is a very serious threat affecting small-scale fishing communities in all the countries with sea front. WFFP demanded that sufficient and justifiable action be taken by the governments concerned against ocean grabbing by the corporate houses, who look for profiteering interests.
He said the WFFP opposes the indiscriminate deep sea fishing using trawlers, big ships and purse seine nets, which pose danger to the fish habitats and environment. Shah demanded that small fishermen and their livelihood be protected and rampant privatisation of the fishing industry not be allowed.
The meeting further adopted a programme of action that aims at building capacity of small-scale fishing communities in order to facilitate the implementation of the international guidelines on sustainable small-scale fisheries adopted by committee of fisheries of the United Nations.
As leading fishing nation in the region and the world, the Indian government had crucial role to play to raise the standard for community based fishery management.
In the meantime, Chairperson of Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum, Muhammad Ali Shah appealed to the Indian government to release six Pakistani fishermen, who are still languishing in Indian jails even after serving more than 15 years.
Speaking to reporters Shah, who is also co-chair of the World Forum of Fisher People, said the Pakistani fishermen were fined Rs 2 lakh and they were not financially sound to pay the amount. He added that PFF was ready to pay the fine on their behalf, but there are no provisions to pay it directly to the India government. He appealed to the Indian Government to release all the six fishermen on humanitarian ground as early as possible.
Asian Tribune (www.asiantribune.com)