Kerala Science Group Warns Port Project Threatens Traditional Fishers

The Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishad has asked the State government to rethink Mission Samudra and the Maritime Board Amendment Bill. The group warned that these plans could hurt traditional fishing jobs, give companies control over coastal areas, and harm marine life.

Project Details

KSSP leaders V. Manoj Kumar and C. Ramakrishnan said Mission Samudra is the State version of the Union government Blue Economy policy. The plan aims to make Keralam a port hub with private help by building 18 minor ports and better links to major ports like Vizhinjam, Kochi, and Vallarpadam. It also proposes ship building and repair facilities, maritime tourism, a black sand mineral corridor, and a Blue Economy hub in Alappuzha. The parishad noted that the State records an annual marine fish catch of around six lakh tonnes, but the project fails to check the ecological impact of large construction or the sustainability of this catch.

Proposed Powers

The group raised concerns that the amendment Bill gives too much power to the Maritime Board. This includes setting up a land bank, a Port Area Development Authority, and a police wing. The board could also buy company shares and lease land for long periods, which the leaders said could transfer coastal assets to private players. Beaches serve as workplaces for fishers across Keralam's 222 marine fishing villages, where they land catches, sell fish, store boats and nets, and dry fish. The new laws could take away their customary rights to these common spaces.

Demands

The KSSP wants participatory coastal mapping, legal protection for traditional fishing rights, and safeguards against displacement. They also called for beach restoration, safe housing against climate change, and green port development. Other demands include protecting traditional fishing routes, adding fishers to tourism through models like pesca tourism, and getting approval from local self-government bodies for Mission Samudra projects.

Context

Coastal development projects often spark tension between economic expansion through ports and the protection of traditional livelihoods. Such debates centre on how to balance modern industrial growth with the rights of local fishing communities who depend directly on marine resources.