National Fishworkers Forum sees red with ‘Blue Economy Model’
Flays Union Government for portraying devastation of the ocean and livelihoods of people as ‘sustainable’ development; allege it is nothing but destruction of natural resources and ecology for the profits of a few
Team Herald
MARGAO: The National Fishworkers Forum (NFF) has condemned and rejected the ‘Blue Economy Model’ as proposed by the G20, which is an intergovernmental forum comprising 19 countries and the European Union (EU).
It may be recalled that India assumed the presidency of the G20 on 1 December, 2022 and on July 20, 2023, the G20 Presidency document has pushed for Blue Economy policies as the way forward for a sustainable ocean.
“However, one of the three pillars of the document is Marine Spatial Planning, which is nothing but handing over the ocean, along with all its wealth, to corporations. This document also talks about ocean conservation – we have already witnessed the kind of conservation being promoted under the 30:30 project, where traditional fishing communities are not even allowed to enter the sea,” said NFF General Secretary Olencio Simoes.
“The NFF strongly condemns the Indian union government for portraying the devastation of the ocean and the lives and livelihoods of ocean people as ‘sustainable’ development! To ensure the smooth implementation of these policies, the government has passed amendments to the Forest Conservation Act, the Biodiversity Act, the Coastal Aquaculture Act, and is still planning to amend the Wildlife Protection Act and even the Environment Protection Act! This is nothing but the destruction of natural resources and ecology for the profits of a few,” Simoes added.
NFF further pointed out that the initial changes in the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification in 2019 and attempts to privatize The Major Ports Authorities Bill, 2022, and the National Waterways Act 2016 have already had devastating impacts on the climate.
“This government is determined to displace millions of fishers, as our focus shifts from capture to cultured fisheries, which has already shown negative impacts in Indonesia. To enable this ocean grab, the government has proposed a Draft Indian Ports Bill, 2022, which will nationalize (read centralize) all state ports. The Draft National Blue Economy Policy, 2021 has also been introduced, and the Mining Act has already been adjusted to enable the exploration of rare earth minerals and preparations for deep ocean mining,” Simoes added.
NFF also condemned the halting of the WE20 conference by the Delhi Police and the use of undemocratic methods to stop such crucial dialogues that serve democracy and society at large.
“If all the policies of this government are implemented, we as a fishing community will lose our identity, culture, and way of life. We will lose our oceans! To safeguard our oceans, the NFF demands the initiation and passing of the Coastal Right Bill in parliament, a task left incomplete by the former Minister of Environment and Forests, Jairam Ramesh, to protect the rights of coastal dwellers and the environment,” Simoes added.
