Fishermen's organization to take out secretariat march on June 17

Fish : The Kerala Swathanthra Matsya Thozhilali Federation (KSMTF) will take out a march to the Secretariat on Friday demanding strict enforcement of the ban on trawling in the seas off the coast during the monsoon season.

The Government had already announced a ban on trawling for 45 days beginning from June 15. The KSMTF, an organisation with considerable influenceamong traditional fishermen, says that the effectiveness of the State Government's machinery to enforce the ban is suspect. This has been the experience in the past.

The State president of the KSMTF, T. Peter, said traditional fishermen would take upon themselves the task of preventing trawlers from operating in the seas during the period of the ban. If mechanised boats flout the ban, the KSMTF would "counter them both in the seas and on the coast," he said in a statement here on Sunday.

The proposed march on Friday is also to highlight several other demands pertaining to the fishermen community.

Drop sand-mining plan

Mr. Peter urged the Government to drop its proposal to permit the mining of mineral sand in the ecologically-sensitive coastal strip of Arattupuzha and Thrikkunnappuzha in Alappuzha, which was ravaged by the tsunami in December. He asked the Government to bring in law against sand-mining at the river mouths and in the estuaries.

The KSMTF criticised the Government for keeping with it the huge funds received from the Centre and the public for the rehabilitation of the tsunami victims. The entire funds should be used for the benefit of the fishermen community and the rehabilitation of the tsunami victims should not be delayed any longer.