18th May 2008

On 18^th May 2008, the campaigners interacted with the people fighting against the proposed Marine sanctuary in Malvan of Sindhudurg district, Maharashtra. The Malvan struggle has a long history. During the last 22 years the proposed project changed it’s status from a marine park under the state government to a marine sanctuary and at last a Marine National park under the Central Government but the relentless struggle of the fisherpeople has been successful to stall the implementation of the projects. Veteran NFF leader Sri Ramesh Dhuri hails from the region. The local fishers were very enthusiastic in getting the central team of Machhimar Adhikar Rashtriya Abhiyan in their midst. NFF Chairperson Sri HArekrishna Debnath reiterated that traditional fishers were in no way responsible for the environmental degradation and, on the contrary they need and fight for ecological conservation as ‘good fish require good water’. He said that shutting off the community from coastal fisheries and thus robbing them of their livelihood will be fought to the last. The discussions that followed highlighted the problems faced by the fishing community and the ways and means of their possible redress. The fishing community of Malvan expressed their resolve to join the Delhi march on parliament in full strength.