Any big port project in India should not go through before consulting fisherfolk residing in the area, as their livelihood would get hit because of erosion or accretion of the coastline, says the draft National Policy on Marine Fisheries. Put in the public domain for comments last week, it says changes in coastal regulation because of construction of ports damages habitations and affects the quality of ecology and marine life. Marine fish stock is falling fast and pollution along the coast and in the seas is a prime reason. So, care is needed for saving the ecology along rivers, as they provide the first round of habitation for marine fish. “Such ecosystems need to be protected from any undue anthropogenic impact,” the draft policy says. An estimated four million people are directly dependent for their livelihood on the coastal sector and marine fisheries’ contribution is about Rs 65,000 crore. The draft says marine fish products should be integrated with standards set by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. B.K Mishra, managing director of the National Federation of Fishers Cooperatives, said the policy needs to address the concerns of poor and small fisherfolk. A two-month annual ban on marine fishing and inadequate group accidental insurance schemes are some issues that need to be addressed, he said.
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