The National Fisherfolk Forum (NFF) has urged the Union Government to include fishermen in the Scheduled Tribes category. A resolution demanding ST status was passed at the two-day national conference held here a few days ago. M. Ilango, Chairperson, NFF, said that the traditional fisher communities of India had been demanding that they should be included in the Scheduled Tribes list. This would ensure that the community has reservations suitable for our population and gets proper representation in the various legislative positions. We do not enjoy direct ministerial berth that many other less populous groups enjoy. Fishing is quite different from agriculture and so it needs to have a proper ministerial berth such as the ministry for fisheries and fisher welfare’ to address the very specific needs of the fisher communities, the resolution said. Mr. Ilango said that for long the fisher communities had been working on drafting a legislation that would enable comprehensive and all inclusive rights for the fisher communities. The legislation that protects the rights of the adivasi communities is a very good example and a similar legislation for the fisher communities is an the need of the hour, he added. Role in coastal regulation The NFF also wanted the government to have a re-look at the price of the fuel supplied to fishermen, and include representatives from the fishing community in the Coastal Zone Management Authority (CZMA). New ports and harbours including the Inayam commercial port should be stopped till the carrying capacity of the existing ports and harbours is studied and new ports shall be introduced only after it is necessary. Deep sea fishing should be encouraged only for traditional fisher communities notified by the State government, and priority on usage of resources of water bodies should be given to local fisher communities, the resolution said. They wanted neighbouring Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh to stop arrests, harassments against coastal fishermen who inadvertently cross the maritime border. The organisation has decided to conduct 10,000 km rathyatra throughout the western and eastern coasts and inland states. The yatra is planned to start from Gujarat to Kanyakumari via Kolkata will reach Delhi passing thorough various coastal and inland states, he said.