With the ministry of environment and climate change announcing the setting up of national coastal zone management authority (NCZMA), fishermen communities have come up with a demand that their interests should be protected when the government issues notification on coastal regulation rules. In October, the ministry issued a notification setting up NCZMA with 22 members in New Delhi and at least 10 members would be required for a quorum. “There is no representation for the coastal community in the newly-constituted NCZMA. It has officials representing various ministries and does not even have representations from research institutions working in coastal or marine areas,” said Charles George, state president of Kerala State Fish Workers Union. He said that the coastal communities are not getting any permission to build dwelling units or effect repairs. According to the notification, the national authority shall coordinate the actions of the state CZMAs and that of the union territories. It shall suo motu review cases of violations and also take up complaints. NCZMA shall deal with all environmental issues relating to coastal regulation zone. Island panchayats and local bodies have been pressurising the state government for permission to build dwelling units and repairs. “Several applications are lying with the state government because the situation in Kerala is different from other states,” said a former KCZMA official. Fishermen fear that privileges on coasts for construction of fishing-related activities will be taken away under the guise of handing it over to the tourism industry. “The UDF government under Oommen Chandy had given a detailed report on the various issues faced by the communities in Kerala, but this list of 22 members indicates the undemocratic attitude of the Centre towards coastal states,” George said.