he Akhil Maharashtra Macchimaar Committee and the National Fishermen Forum (NFF) on Tuesday held a protest meeting expressing concern about the Goods and Services Tax (GST), land ownership and transfer of property, unequal allotment of licences, need for local fish markets, and pushing the nautical limits for fishing from 12 miles to 60-70 miles. Members of the Koli community, whose main occupation is fisheries, from Uttan, Colaba, Kasara and Sassoon docks had gathered at Azad Maidan. The crowds reverberated as Jyoti Meher, one of the speakers at the meeting, made the crowds chant: Mumbai nahi konachya baapachi, Mumbai aahe kolyanchi, and, Samudra nahi konachya baapacha, samudra amchya kolyancha. (Mumbai and the seas don’t belong to anyone but the Kolis). Some of the protesters’ demands included banning people other than Kolis from fishing, and reducing taxes applied on the diesel used for fishing boats. Jayashri Chavri from Khar Danda said the protest was aimed at removal of GST applied on the sale of fish, since their daily wages vary between ?200 and ?500, and the tax would impact it heavily. She also mentioned how licences were not issued to fisherwomen in a uniform manner. Some have been allotted the licences, while others haven’t. Local markets also need to be established for the sale of the fish and to ensure a legal process in procuring minimum prices, she said. Majority of the protest speeches focused on the ownership of land near the sea. Ms. Chavri said, We have been living near the sea and practising fishing since the time Mumbai has existed. Our community’s livelihood is based on it. We need to have ownership of the houses we reside in, as it forms the proof for any documents required. She also explained how those who have ownership aren’t able to transfer the property to their children. Ms. Meher, who belongs to the Maharashtra Macchimaar Committee, said, The 12 nautical limit for fishing is problematic. The amount of fish that can be caught is limited, but the State government doesn’t bother, as beyond 12 nautical miles the control is transferred to the Central government.