"We are too Citizens of the country."

Women who are the heads of the families are received livelihoods assistance today in Trincomalee  Urban council under the 'empowerment of most marginalized, unattended women headed failies schemepf NAFSO.
The victims of the war, survivors of tsunami, internally displaced 112 women received agriculture, fisheries, domestic industries, groceries materials under the women headed families livelihood assistance scheme which was supported through CCFD/ CRIdF the strategic partner of NAFSO.
The livelihood assistance was ditributed as the second batch in Trincomalee today while 138 WHF received the assistance at the first batch in August last year.
Karunawathie, a woman who disappeared her husband while fishing in the sea during the war time said " We are too citizens of SL though neglected. But, we are having potential to produce if support as NAFSO does and feed our feed our children without depending on any others".
The mayor who attended the function as chief guest said, " We appreciate the assistance of NAFSO for the women who need the assistance most in the society.
We know how hard work the field workers attempt to make this work a success and we commend their work. We would like to provide any assistance to such group."
Sanjana, the field activist and Ananda Peiris from Trincomalee district organization and Lavena Hasanthi, Antony Jesudasan among others who worked hard to make the event a successful.
Chitrani, the chair of the Diriya  Kantha Women Organization at Trincomalee who attended with her team to assist the organizers voluntarily said "We know NAFSO is a precious Gem to the country. We will protect it and  preserve for future."
These are blessings and important to build trust among poor and marginalized communities.

Northern Province Fishers Unity elected their new Leadership

The thurd AGM of Northern Province Fisher People's Unity was held today at Yalpady hotel, Jaffna.
Suriyakumaran the presant chair who is Point Pedro fishing community was reelected as the chair for next 3 years. Suvramaniyam former acting chair from Mathagal Jaffna was elected as the secretary while Mariyarasa from Mulaitivu fisher federation elected as the treasurer.
There were several amendments made to the constitution. One important amendment was to allow people's representative to elect as office bearers.
The Fisher peoples unity was established with much strength this time after joining Mulaitivu fisheries federation joined the unity.
Convener, NAFSO raised the concerns of following issues;
. Indu- SL fisher people's dialogue on 12th May,
. An overall plan for Northern province fisher people's future,
. Fisher people's Unity exchange visit with TN fishers,
. Funds for Fisher people's Unity work,

Antony Jesudasan explained the 30th campaign at Fort railway station and how the group could attend the program.
At the same time there will be a protest organized by TNPF against Land Grabbing at Kilinochchi.
The Fisher People's Unity decided to join fisher people's struggles whenever possible.

Change! Yes, With Reforms!

NAFSO together with civil society organizations, political parties, Fisheries organisations particulars in northern and eastern provinces, HR groups, religious groups, media will launch a signature campaign on Main 4 issues related to fisheries issues in the country.
The program will be held at Fort Railway Station on Friday 30th May during 2.00- 6.00 pm.
The 4 issues are;
1. Indian Trawler issue,
2. Fuel Subsidy
3. Land Grabbing
4. IDP issues
Those were the similar issues addressed on 15th February campaign at Chilaw, Galle, Pothuwil and Jaffna.

The 30th Program will be;
. Signing petition
. Launch signature campaign
. Distribution of leaflets
. Speeches of political, civil and religious leadership

We want to collect 100,000 signatures while launching the campaign in different places in the country.
31st May-Mannar
1st June- Katunayake
7th June- Negombo
8th June- Jaffna
14th June- Trincomalee
15th June - Ampara
21st June - Kalpitiya
22nd June - Kurunegala
28th June - Batticoloa
29th June - Karuwalagaswewa

We do hope NAFSO members, civil groups, fisheries organizations to join hand in hand with us.
We do hope to promote:
Change! Yes, With, Reforms!
In this campaign.

What is "Blue Growth" Promoted by FAO? Will this be benefit 90% Small Scale Fishers in the world?

FAO of UN in it's the latest report  of "State of the World Fisheries and Aquaculture" has revealed the current situation of world capture fisheries and the Aquaculture. Aquaculture contributes the 90 Metric tonnes while Wild capture fisheries contributes 80 Metric tonnes, At the same time, we are concerned about the FAO concept of "Blue Growth" which could most likely similar to "Green Growth" of the land. Here I have quoted some important points from the report of SeafoodNews,comm Washington.   Herman United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization: 70% of global fish stocks fished within sustainable limits; seafood production up 10 million tons

May 20, 2014 -- FAO has released its latest "State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture" report, covering 2012,  and there are a number of positive news items. First and foremost, 70% of wild capture fisheries are now being fished within biologically sustainable limits. This is a "reversal in trend observed during the past few years, a positive sign in the right direction," says the FAO. Global capture fisheries remained stable at 80 million tons. Secondly, the aquaculture production continues to surge. Global aquaculture production marked a record high of more than 90 million tonnes in 2012, including almost 24 million tonnes of aquatic plants. China accounted for over 60 percent of the total share. Other positive trends were the increase in employment in fisheries and aquaculture, the greater share o trade coming from developing countries, and the fact that seafood now accounts for 17% of global protein consumption. The report also emphasizes the importance and positive role of the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries which, since its adoption almost two decades ago, remains key to achieving sustainable fisheries and aquaculture. More people than ever before rely on fisheries and aquaculture for food and as a source of income says the new FAO report published today. According to the latest edition of FAO's The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture, global fisheries and aquaculture production totaled 158 million tonnes in 2012 - around 10 million tonnes more than 2010. The rapid expansion of aquaculture, including the activities of small-scale farmers, is driving this growth in production. Fish farming holds tremendous promise in responding to surging demand for food which is taking place due to global population growth, the report says. At the same time, the planet's oceans - if sustainably managed - have an important role to play in providing jobs and feeding the world, according to FAO's report. "The health of our planet as well as our own health and future food security all hinge on how we treat the blue world," FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva said. "We need to ensure that environmental well-being is compatible with human well-being in order to make long-term sustainable prosperity a reality for all. For this reason, FAO is committed to promoting 'Blue Growth,' which is based on the sustainable and responsible management of our aquatic resources." The renewed focus on the so-called "blue world" comes as the share of fisheries production used by humans for food has increased from about 70 percent in the 1980s to a record high of more than 85 percent (136 million tonnes) in 2012. At the same time per capita fish consumption has soared from 10 kg in the 1960s to more than 19 kg in 2012. The new report also says fish now accounts for almost 17 percent of the global population's intake of protein -- in some coastal and island countries it can top 70 percent. FAO estimates that fisheries and aquaculture support the livelihoods of 10-12 percent of the world's population. Since 1990 employment in the sector has grown at a faster rate than the world's population and in 2012 provided jobs for some 60 million people engaged in capture fisheries and aquaculture. Of these, 84 percent were employed in Asia, followed by Africa with about 10 percent. Global marine capture fishery production was stable at about 80 million tonnes in 2012, the new report indicates. Currently, under 30 percent of the wild fish stocks regularly monitored by FAO are overfished - a reversal in trend observed during the past few years, a positive sign in the right direction. Just over 70 percent are being fished within biologically sustainable levels. Of these, fully fished stocks - meaning those at or very close to their maximum sustainable production - account for over 60 percent and underfished stocks about 10 percent. Global aquaculture production marked a record high of more than 90 million tonnes in 2012, including almost 24 million tonnes of aquatic plants. China accounted for over 60 percent of the total share. Aquaculture's expansion helps improve the diets of many people, especially in poor rural areas where the presence of essential nutrients in food is often scarce. However, the report warns that to continue to grow sustainably, aquaculture needs to become less dependent on wild fish for feeds and introduce greater diversity in farmed culture species and practices. For example, small-sized species can be an excellent source of essential minerals when consumed whole. However, consumer preferences and other factors have seen a switch towards larger farmed species whose bones and heads are often discarded. The role of fish is set to feature prominently at the Second International Conference on Nutrition jointly organized by FAO and the World Health Organization (WHO) for 19-21 November 2014 in Rome. Fish remains among the most traded food commodities worldwide, worth almost $130 billion in 2012 - a figure which likely will continue to increase. An important trend sees developing countries boosting their share in the fishery trade - 54 percent of total fishery exports by value in 2012 and more than 60 percent by quantity (live weight). This means fisheries and fish farming are playing an increasingly critical role for many local economies. Some 90 percent of fishers are small scale and it is estimated that, overall, 15 percent are women. In secondary activities such as processing, this figure can be as high as 90 percent. FAO, through the 2014 International Year of Family Farming, is raising the profile of smallholder activities - including fisheries and aquaculture - with an emphasis on improving access to finance and markets, securing tenure rights and protecting the environment. An estimated 1.3 billion tonnes of food are lost per year - to about one-third of all food produced. This figure includes post-harvest fish losses, which tend to be greater in small-scale fisheries. In small-scale fisheries, quality losses are often far more significant than physical losses. Improved handling, processing and value-addition methods could address the technical aspects of this issue, but it is also vital to extend good practices, build partnerships, raise awareness, and develop capacity and relevant policies and strategies. The report also notes that illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing remains a major threat to marine ecosystems and also impacts negatively on livelihoods, local economies and food supplies. Food chain traceability is increasingly a requirement in major fish markets, especially in the wake of recent scandals involving the mislabeling of food products. FAO provides technical guidelines on certification and ecolabeling which can help producers demonstrate that fish has been caught legally from a sustainably managed fishery or produced in properly run aquaculture facility. In particular, the report stresses the importance of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries which, since its adoption almost two decades ago, remains key to achieving sustainable fisheries and aquaculture. The Code promotes the responsible use of aquatic resources and habitat conservation to help boost the sector's contribution to food security, poverty alleviation and human well-being. FAO is also promoting "Blue Growth" as a framework for ensuring sustainable and socioeconomically-sensitive management of oceans and wetlands. At the Global Oceans Action Summit on Food Security and Blue Growth held last month in The Hague, Netherlands, governments and other participants committed to actions focused on tackling climate change, overfishing, habitat loss and pollution in a bid to restore productive, resilient oceans.

Let us Stand by our own feet: Thanks to CRIdF group

NAFSO team attended the material distribution of Marumalarshi women headed family team at Batticoloa on 15 May. This was the second time NAFSO provided livelihood assistance for Women Headed Family members in Batticoloa.
The program was held at Kopaweli community center with the participation of NAFSO program team, NAFSO convener, Sr. Deepa Fernando, Journalist Melani Manel and Military officer in the area attended the ceremony.
There were 55 women received the materials for revive their livelihoods at this stage.
Mr. Arul Sebastian, the Gandhi district organization at Batticoloa, a Chairperson of NAFSO national committee facilitated the program with Mr. Selvakumar, NAFSO district coordinator.

Northern Fishers Union core team meets on fisher's dialogue

The core team of Northern Province Fishers unity met at Jaffna with the intention of discussing the forthcoming people to people dialogue on Indian trawler invasion to Sri Lankan waters.
The chairs of K. Suriyakumar, A. Alam and the representatives of Mannar, Jaffna, Kilinochchi attended the core team meeting.
The team emphasised the 18 point agreement which agreed by the NPFPU and stick to those principles for future negotiattions.
" We are strongly demand to prevent the Indian trawler invasion in to SL  waters. We can not tolerate the bottom trawler operations in our waters. " said K. Suriyakumar the chair of the unity.

The co chair A.Alam of Mannar district is very concerned about  the sustenance of fisheries in Palk bay.
"Our fishers are highly concern about our fish redources. They do not use even the oxygen cylinders for collect Sea Cucumbers. How do we tolerate the destruction of our sea bottom through pair trawls?"
S. Subramaniyam the leader of Mathagal fishing community says "we need to declare the Palk bay and northern sea as a fisheries management area where declare the appropriate fishing gears to use, restore the desturbed areas conciously, banning harmful gears and also identify appropriate number of fishers to operate in the northern waters."
On the dialogue on 12th May people felt there is no high hopes. But appreciate the attempts to solve the problem. They welcome the idea of buy back system, convert the pair trawlers in to Indian deep sea water fisheries are also welcome by the team.
There was serious concern about the by passing of the previous experienced the northern province fisher people's unity members who attended for the dialogue at Tamil Nadu in 2010.
The group agreed that we need to initiate an overall plan for the development of northern ses areas with mediation of northern province provincial council.
In this plan there should be an overall strategy to regulate the southern fishers invasion into northern seas with political and military patronage. Fisher leaders came to an agreement to meet again once the 12th meeting is over between the Indian and Sri Lanka. fishermen.

Northern Fishers meet Indian consulate officisls at Jaffna

The northern fisher people' unity leaders attended a bilateral dialogue with indian consulate officials based in Jaffna today.
The leaders from Mannar, Kilinochchi and Jaffna attended this dialogue which they felt as important and productive as they shared at the brief evaluation people held.
The fisher leaders shared their engagements during the past and their frustration as the neglection of their experiences by the present fisher people's dialogue. The consulate officials also felt the importance of their participation as experienced leaders.
Suriyakumar, the leader of the 2010 August dialogue held in Tamil Nadu explained how they were engaged in the dialogue and the out come of that process.
At the end of the dialogue with the cinsulate officials the 3 district leadership agreed the necessity of the strengthen of the fisher people's unity and work closely among 4 districts fisher group.

India-Sri Lanka Fisher Dialogues Resume 2nd Round on 12th May

The second round of People to People fisher dialogue which was much awaited and postponed several time will be held in Colombo, Sri Lanka now.
The previously scheduled second round of dialogues were postponed due to strong stand of the Tamil Nadu chief minister, Jayalalitha Jeyaram demanding to release all the Tamil Nadu fishermen and their boats before resume any further bilateral dialogues.

However, the Sri Lankan authorities response was that the legal procedures are underway and the court will decide the release of fishermen and not politically.
But, situation was changed once India did not vote against Sri Lanka and absentee to the voting at Geneva Human Rights council at the USA sponsored resolution on Sri Lanka.

The President of Sri Lanka ordered to release all the Indian fishermen held in Sri Lankan jails just after the Indians stand on Sri Lanka at Geneva. After some time some media reported that the Indian trawlers had invaded our waters and freely operated and landed at Katchchathivu island and were treated them well by Navy.

In this context the second bilateral talks between Indian and Srilankan fisher leaders is to held on 12th may 2014. 26 Indian delegates are attending to this from India including;
12 fisher delegates from Tamilnadu,
4 fisher delegates from Pondicherry 
One delegate from NFF, and
Officials from Govt.of  India, including Ministry of External  Affairs, Tamilnadu and Pondicherry government are participating.

Chairperson of NFF, the counterpart of NAFSO in WFFP has also nominated by Govt. of India as a part of the delegate at Colombo meeting.

The delegation will leave from Chennai on 11th night and will reach here in Colombo by 12th Morning.
We are much delighted to see the out come of the People to People Dialogue which NAFSO and NFF/ARIF initiated and also carried out at several occasions since 2004 followed by 2010.

Another plenty of catch for beach seine operations

Fishermen's days are so hard as they enhage on one of the most dangerous occupation in the world. Mining is the worst while ishing is the next to mining as ILO reports.
There are very limited number of days fishermen have a smile in their face due to low income, low catch and No Fuel price cost even.
In this context it is very interesting to get a high catch for a beach seine. Wennappuwa beach seine operators were collected high fish catch and I would like to upload some photographs.

Laal Salam Tom! -Comrades of the World Fishers send RED SALUTE TO YOU!

Some of WFFP/WFF Comrades have sent their Condolence messages on the departed leader Thomas Kocherry.

I am sharing them in my blog for your information.

FROM HONDURAS

Dear friends  

In the early hours of this morning we received the tragic news of the departure without return of our friend FATHER THOMAS COCHERRY

Undoubtedly we have received this sad news with deep grief, very difficult to describe in words. I always remember the way when he call me: "Jorge ... come, come, come ..". and  the most recent members of WFFP recall the strength of their arguments and the strength of their claims and approaches ...

We have lost a great leader of small-scale fishermen., driver and defender of human rights ... the world has lost a brave, honest and unique man ... and us in WFFP have lost a great guide, a companion, a large struggler and dear friend.

Rest in the  peace of heaven our unforgettable friend: FATHER: THOMAS KOCKCHERY

Jorge Varela Marquez-Honduras

FROM INDONESIA

Dear Herman, dear all,

This is very socking news to hear the depart of Father Kocherry, may his legacy will be remembered through the continuous struggle of fisher people world wide.

We pray the love of God enfolds him during his journey through grief. 

Reza- Indonesia
 

FROM ICELAND
Dear all.

My deepest condolences to all of you.

In the past I and Tom had our differences, but we put that behind us years ago and became friends.  I have the highest respect for him and will miss his enthusiasm and commitment for the rights of the poor and undermined.

Sincerely

Arthur Bogason-WFF-Coordinator

FROM INDIA

Dear All,

With great sorrow, we inform that Father Thomas Kocherry passed away today. He was an indefatigable soul, always active.

Another great loss to the movement.

He was such a fantastic person, with whom we had worked in close collaboration in the Anti-Nuclear Struggle, and had spent so much time together. He was like Prof Banwarilal, always active, risking his health. 

Very sad news.

Let us pledge to continue to work towards their dreams of building a more humane, just, peaceful, society.

in solidarity,

Neeraj- Anti Nuclear Movement-Pune, India

 Friends and comrades,

Writing to give you a sad news. Fr. Thomas Kocherry passed away this morning. Our dear Tom is no more… He was much more than a senior comrade, a mentor or a parent. Don't have words to express shock & grief… Laal Salam Tom… Inquilab Zindabad. Funeral at 3pm at Muttada Catholic Church, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala on Monday the 5th May 2014.

Please inform WFFP friends and his comrades across the world. I am sending to those of you who I can off-hand remember…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Kocherry

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeIrta3o4Hw

A.J. Vi

Dear All,

Very sad to know this. Our sincere condolences to his family and colleagues. 

Regards

Ujjaini Halim-WFF-India

Fr. THOMAS KOCHERRY PASSED AWAY

Dear All,

Our Beloved Leader NFF Former chairperson, KSMTF Leader, WFF founder convener, Special  Invitee of WFFP, Fr. THOMAS KOCHERRY passed away yesterday 3^rd May, morning around 8 AM at his place of stay, at Holy Cross Church, Trivandrum.

            Thomas Kocherry was born in Changanasserry, Kerala, the south-west part of India on 10^th May 1940. He is 74 yrs old. He is fifth in a family of 11 children-7 boys and 4 girls.

            Father Thomas Kocherry after his ordination as a priest in 1971, he went to work among the Bangladesh refugees in Raigunj, a border area of Bangaladesh in 1971.

            Father Thomas Kochery is a social activist, priest, and lawyer who helped found the Kerala Swantra Matsyathozhillali Federation.

            For the past few  years he lived in Redemptorists House at Manavalakurichi of Kanniakumari District in Tamilnadu.

            Because of sickness for the past one year he lived in the convent of Holy Cross Church, at Muttada, near M.G. College, TRIVANDRAUM.

            Burriel will be held on Monday 5^th May at 3.00 PM at Holy Cross Church, Near M.G.College, TRIVANDRAUM.

            Fr. Thomas Kocherry, Chatholic Priest, Trade union leader, environmentalist, lawyer, social activist is the former chairperson of the National Fish Workers Forum. He is the Co-ordinator of the world Forum of fish-harvester and Fishworkers (WFF) and Indian National Alliance of Peoples’ Movements (NAMP).

            He is also the Rector of the Periyavillai Redemptorist Community of Tamilnadu. One of the organizers of the famous Kanyakumari march of 1989 that sought to protect India’s coastal ecology, he and his colleagues have mobilized the fishing community to fight the foreign industrial fishing fleets that had been invited to India by shortsighted politicians. A crusader against coastal pollution, he spearheaded protests against the Koodankulam Nuclear Plant in Tamil Nadu and is currently a member of the Coastal Zone Management Authority of India.

            He became a priest, He worked with the refugees from Bangladesh in Raigunj. The stories of despair and destitution that He heard changed him forever. His decision to spend his life defending the oppressed was further consolidated when He began to work in a small fishing village called Poothura near Thiruvananthapuram. Middlemen led by one politically well-connected family were using muscle-power to keep fisherfolk permanently on the edge of starvation even though they worked harder than any community He decided to arm them with knowledge by teaching them to read and write.

The 74-year-old legend of social movement politics in India shows no signs of slowing down,

Redemptorist priest, union leader, anti-nuclear activist and people’s movement educator – Tom Kocherry is a senior sage of India’s environmental and social justice movements. Despite scars from many battles, he remains an inveterate optimist – ‘Every fight, every movement, every reform is an optimism,’ he says.

You just can’t stop Thomas Kocherry. After four heart attacks, innumerable fasts and 16 stints in jail, he shows no sign of slowing down. His current target is the controversial Kudankulam nuclear plant in Tamil Nadu. The campaign has mobilized local villagers and activists from across the country who fear that, like Fukushima in Japan, the plant may be vulnerable to a tsunami. The movement has fought tooth and nail since construction started in 1989. ‘You cannot talk about social justice without talking about the environment,’ says Kocherry. ‘There can be no shortcuts, no depleting of natural capital.’ This in part explains his anti-nuclear stance. When not campaigning, he travels South India putting on seminars for young activists.

The fifth of eleven children, Kocherry grew up in the Backwaters region of Kerala, where poor fisher folk used small boats to eke a living from the fresh waters that parallel the Indian Ocean. The two influences on his early adult life were the church (particularly the social gospel of the Redemptorist Fathers) and the radical Left movement that contested Keralan politics (led by the Communist Party of India) from the first days of independence. It was natural enough for Kocherry to make common cause with the poor inshore fisher folk and their struggles. He and three other Redemptorists made their living as part of the Shore Seine fishery, and helped organize health clinics and nurseries amongst the hard-working but desperately poor fishers systematically exploited by a series of wholesalers and merchants.

In the late 1970s, Kerala fishers started to organize and assert their rights on a whole range of issues. They set up an organization called the Kerala Independent Fishworkers Federation. In 1981 Kocherry and fellow leader Joyachan Antony went on an 11-day fast in favour of a Monsoon Trawl Ban (the breeding season for many varieties of fish) in Kerala. Kocherry was arrested on trumped-up charges; in the course of defending himself he managed to fit in a law degree at Kerala University.

By 1982 the fishworkers’ struggle had gone national, with Kocherry elected president of the National Fishworkers Forum. In the mid-1990s he led a nationwide campaign to stop the Indian government from opening up the country’s fishing industry to a growing fleet of 2,600 large foreign trawlers. With 10 million Indians dependent on a sustainable fishery for their survival, the stakes were high. A militant campaign included marches, fasts and blocking of major fish ports around the country. The Indian government was forced to withdraw the legislation – one of the first and most significant victories against corporate globalization. Kocherry, who went on to help form the World Forum of Fisher People, understands the tensions of fighting for the rights of the fishing community in an era of declining global fish stocks. ‘You simply cut from the top. The biggest, most destructive, trawlers go first and you work your way down until you reach a sustainable fishery.’

Kocherry has thought a lot about people’s movements – how they succeed and fail. These days, he is highly critical both of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the established Christian church. ‘They become institutionalized, create dogmas and rituals and statues of their gods, they become powermongering or give in to the power of money.’ For Kocherry, the strength of a people’s movement lies elsewhere. ‘It must be from the bottom up. The challenge is to create an evolving revolutionary structure that never becomes institutionalized or ossified by power.’ It is a vision that would strike a chord with today’s Occupy Movements and their search for new organizational forms.

                With the demise of Fr. Thomas Kocherry, India lost one of his greatest sons of this country.

                We have lost a legend of social movement politics in India. We have lost an anti-nuclear activist and people movement educator.

                As the chairperson I am shocked by my beloved leaders’ demise. It was sudden and unexpected. I met him only three days back at Manavalakurichi, Tamilnadu, on 30 the April I was with him for about 3 hours and enjoyed his hospitality. He shared his experience with me.

                NFF  conveys its deep condolence to the entire fishing community in India and all over the world and his family members.

                I convey my heartfelt condolences to one and all.

With Warm Regards,
M.Ilango Ex. M.L.A. 
Chairperson , National Fishworkers' ForumFROM PAKISTAN

A very sad day indeed.

A. Ercelan, Pakistan

I have no word to express my sentiments and sadness news on the death of Thomas Kocherry. Oh; all my friends we deprived from the great leader of fisherfolk of all over the world. Very very very sad news for us.

Ali Shah and TahiraGeneral Secretary-WFFP

From SPAIN

dear friends and fellow fishing family artesanales.
Trasladar my great sorrow for the loss of our dear friend Thomas Kocherry. a hug to all and your family.

A Hug

Natalia Lainia Lajo- Galicia, Spain

FROM FRANCE

With lots of sadness I read this news

But will be for ever Grateful to what Father Thomas did for us all  

I am sure God will greet him with a Great smile

Alexis Fossi- France

FROM WFFP COORDINATOR

Chers tous 

Avec grande tristesse je dois vous annoncer que Thomas Kocherry est mort la nuit dernière.

Ses funéraille auront lieu lundi and j'ai demandé à Herman Kumara d'aller en Inde pour nous représenter. Sherry et moi allons préparer une courte nécrologie de la part deu WFFP

Nous vous l'enverrons dans quelques heures.

C'est une grande perte pour nous tous.

... et juste hier nous parlions tous avec lui au téléphone.

Naseegh-Coordinator, WFFP

FROM GUNNIE

Bonsoir Herman et à tous

Nous venons de perdre après Dr Chandrika, notre cher et respecté leader Thomas. c'est une grande affliction pour tous Nous serons en union de prière aux moments des obsèques. Puisse Dieu l'accueillir près de

Lui.

veuillez transmettre os sincères condoléances  aux familles éplorées et tous.

Lucien DEHY et Adrienne HOUNYOVI

FROM MAURITANIA
Bonsoir,tous
Je viens d'apprendre par l'émail d'alexis le decès de feu thomas Cocherry notre grand leader du WFFP et grand defendeur de lapeche artisanale mondiale,en cette doulereuse circonstance j'adresse mes condéléances les plus attristées et sincères à la famille du défunt et à tous les adherents du wffp et prions
dieu le plus puissant de l'accueillire dans son paradis amine

Sid'Ahmed Abeid PRESIDENT FNP section peche artisanale /PRESIDENT CAOPA /MEMBRE  CC  WFFP /

A tribute to Thomas Kocherry

It is with the greatest sadness that we hear about the passing of Thomas Kocherry.

It was just yesterday that he joined the coordinating committee of the World Forum of Fisher Peoples (WFFP) in a lively telephonic conference discussion on issues that faces small scale fishers across the world. Today he is no more and all of us in the WFFP are shocked and mourn the loss of a pioneer of our organization.

His passing is an intimate loss for fisher-folk across the world.

Thomas was a hardened soldier in the fight for the rights of fishers and poor people. His very existence echoed the plight of the poor. He was never a person to indulge in luxury. Whenever the WFFP met internationally he was always in the front line of not wasting. All his international work reflected the life of the poor. We in the WFFP can attest to this and we value this personal attribute that he instilled in our organization.

As tough as a person he was, he also stood tall in the fight against the exploitation of marginalized people. Even though he will be modest about it – we know that he has made an indelible impact in the fight for a better life for fishers in Asia, Africa, Latin America, Canada and all over the world.

For us, in the WFFP, the legacy of Thomas Kocherry will continue to stand tall.

While we mourn his passing – we also celebrate the great contribution that he made in the struggle for human rights the world over. His absence will surely be missed.

NaseeghJaffer& Sherry Pictou

Co-Chairpersons of WFFP.

3^rd  May 2014