NFF-India is fighting against the CRZ Notification

Today nearly about 70,000 fisher people from along the coatal areas of Maharashtra gather in to show their protest against the CRZ NOTIFICATION DATED 15th Sept 2010 under the leadership of Shri Rambhau Patil General Sectretary of NATIONAL FISH WORKER FORUM AND CHAIR PERSON OF MAHARASHTRA MACHHIMMAR KRUTI SAMTI, large number of this fishers has participated by closing their one day business of fishing and marketing. all the members of Maharashtra Krutisamiti , shri Nanu patil Kiran koli, philip Mastan and represantative from Anu urja Praklap virodhi Sangharsh Samiti's Vaishali Patil and Brigadier coloner Sushir Sawant has address the gathering and warn the fisher of the danger faced by the CRZ NOTIFICATION.
The 70000 fisher sat on dharna from 10.00 am to 6 .pm however no official from the government had time to visit to the people who had sat on dhara from morning , later on the police official conveyed that the Minister for Environment , Maharashtra State had called the few presentative from the offiece bearer of Maharashra Kurti Samit, howeve innitailly people refused to go to the Mantralaya since alll the people were demanding the presence of Minister at the Dharna Site, later on it was decide to send some representative to have a dialouge with the minister, shri Suresh Shetty has given an assuarance that your represantavies will be called after 1st of November, the mitteeing will be consucted with all the concern minister such as Environment Minister, Revanue Minister , Chiefminister , Fisheries Minister to resolve the Problem of Fisher ,. On arriving at the site of Dharna , and while putting infront of the gathering at azad Maidan , what has happend in Mantralay the peole showed their anger toward our leader why you have not taken an assuarances in writing some of them want to take charge of the stage , however later on they have asked to take it easy if the govt did not listen to our say will will intensify our agitation, and at last at 6.30 it was declaired that todays programm is over ,

"We are Concern on your Plight" Says, Pakistani People on Indian Brothers.

PFF-Pakistan and PILER organizations are playing vital role to release Indian Fishermen who were held in Jail for months, if not years. This is another important work done by PILER and PFF-Pakistan in Solidarity with Indian Fishers.

I am uploading this news as it shows the concern, commitment and the Solidarity of the Pakistani people on their Indian Brothers.

Congratulations PILER & PFF!

Herman Kumara,
22.10.10


Dear All,

On the PILER and PFF constitution petition for release of Indian fishermen, the Supreme Court had ordered the government to complete trial of 142 Indian under-trial fishermen within six weeks and then release them accordingly.

The good news is that the concerned court has completed the trial of 142 Indian fishermen and also asked the government to repatriate them to their country.

News in daily Dawn (English):
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/local/jail-authorities-told-to-prepare-for-repatriation-of-142-fishermen-200

News in daily Express (Urdu): http://express.com.pk/epaper/PoPupwindow.aspx?newsID=1101080210&Issue=NP_KHI&Date=20101022

Congratulations to all peace loving people.

Shujauddin Qureshi
Senior Research Associate
Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER),
Gulshan-e-Maymar, Karachi-75340

Fisher People Say NO Sea Planes for Negombo Lagoon

Hundreds of People gathered at Jubilee Hall Negombo yesterday very strongly said,
"We need not any Sea Planes for Negombo Lagoon."

There are 3500 fisher people directly engage in Fishing while 1500 involve indirect fisheries activities in the Lagoon. It is also a Ramsar Wetland with the Muthurajawela Marsh which covers the livelihood of more than 10,000 families around the 35 villages in Negombo lagoon.
Sri Vimukthi Fisher Women Organization, Lagoon Fisher People's Organization in collaboratio with the St.Anthony's Fisheries Organization had convened the meeting at Negombo.

"We all are gratitude to Lagoon. It provided our daily income. We all are depending on the lagoon. Anything disturb the lagoon means we all will disturb our lives", says Mary Shirani of Kadolkele, whose husband is a lagoon fisherman.

Fr. Sarath Iddamalgoda who attended the meeting said, "We need to expect some difficulties, if we want to protect the lagoon. There may be some sort of bribes to be given. A net, small plot of land, a boat, or many more. But, those will lust temporarliy. If we all want to protect the lagoon, we need to have a common understanding what is happening today in the name of development, added Fr.Sarath.

Aruna Roshantha of Eksath Fisheries Organization at Pitipana said, we all need to united and go forward if we all want to get the victory against the sea planes. But, we can not think our victory, if there are people who want to betray people and work with the corrupted politicians. We need to form a social movement which protect the rights of the fisher people added Aruna.

Fr. Sherad Jayawardene, FR. Sriyananda Fernando were also addressed the gathering with proposing some practical actions to be carried out.

At the end, a core group was selected and every body volunteered to the work to be carried out. The next core group meeting will be held on 22nd October.
The core group decided Herman & Subashinie of SVFWO to be served as conveners of the group.

Herman Kumara,

Report of the Final Session of SSF Regional Conference: Securing Small Scale Fishers-Rights Based Approach

Among the 3 regional WSs, WFFP delegation attended the Bangkok ws too.
From Mohommed Ali Sha of PFF, Pakistan, Saranapala De Silva of United Fishers & Fish Workers Congress[UFFC], Suraji Sudiratmija of Serikat Nelayan of Indonesia, Gerard Corpuz of PAMALAKAYA, Philippines, Geetha Lakmini of NAFSO, Sri Lanka, WICHOKSAK RONNARONGPAIREE, The Federation of Southern Fisher Folk, Thailand had attended from WFFP. Some of our members attended with the support of WFF as they wanted WFFP to fill up their slots too.

The Bangkok Regional workshop report of Small Scale Fishers organized by Food & Agriculture Organization[FAO] has been circulated.

I would like to add this for your information as this will help you to understand what has happened at Bangkok during 6-8 October.

Herman Kumara

Rights – of fishers, fishing communities and small-scale fishers
• Right to life and livelihood.
• Right to access resources.
• Rights to manage coastal and inland fisheries resources.
• Right to food.
• Right to decent work
• Right to safety at sea and in the work place.
• Right to be protected by Law.
• Right to participate in local governance.
• Right to information.
• Right to politics.
• Right of users to be involved in management.
• Right to participate in local governance.
• Right to advocacy.
• Right to basic amenities.
• Rights to make rules/regulations on fishing/fishery management.
• Right to participate in decision making.
• Right to social protection, security and access to social services.
• Right of women to participate in decision making.
• Recognition of community and customary rights.
• (Guarantee of social protection, decent working and living conditions and social security for SSF).
• Guaranteed release and repatriation of all fishers detained for trans-boundary trespass and/or drifting.
• Right to rehabilitation after natural disasters.
• Right of representation of fisheries associations in stakeholder/sectoral dialogue and decision making.
• Right to access/area/tenure rights.
• Coastal protection (either infrastructure or natural barriers).
• Rights to tenure or use of coastal land (also to promote habitat conservation).
• Access to fisheries, fishing areas (linked to zoning, and can also include territorial use rights TURF).
• Responsible and sustainable SSF as a right for future generations.
• The rights of men, women and children in SSF to an equitable, safer and sustainable livelihood are ensured.

Principles
• Appropriate consultation mechanisms.
• Prior and informed consent.
• Transparency and accountability.
• Principle of Subsidiarity.
• Formal integration of SSF into coastal, riverine and rural development policies.
• Respect for traditional/indigenous knowledge and local wisdom.
• SSF have specific needs reflecting the dependency, complexity and vulnerability of their livelihoods.
• Policies and interventions associated with disaster risk management (DRM) and climate change (CC) should take into account and respond to the specific needs of the SSF sector.
• Consensus should be built on approaches, systems and strategies to address the needs of SSF in relation to disaster preparedness (including prevention and mitigation), response and rehabilitation.
• Engagement and consultation with NGO’s and CBO in support of SSF.
• These approaches, systems and strategies should reflect the needs and requirements of different stakeholders in small scale fisheries, including men, women and children involved in capture, post harvest and ancillary work.
• Principle of gender equality.
• Recognition of the importance of ensuring the involvement of participants in SSF in decision making processes regarding DRM and CC approaches, systems and strategies.
• Fisheries policies and strategies should include DRM and CC considerations and fully reflect the specific needs of small-scale fisheries.
• NGO’s concerned with SSF should be afforded the opportunity to fully participate in planning and implementation of relevant legislation, policies and programmes.
• Policies and interventions associated with DRM and CC take into account and respond to the specific needs of the SSF sector

Goals

• Goals in SSF should be informed by the MDGs.
• Security from external threats (pollution, industrial fishing, displacement).
• Reduce conflict with other resource users.
• Enable secured access to markets for SSF products.
• Products of SSF meet food hygiene requirement.
• Elimination of child labour.
• Promotion of decent and safe work and employment.
• Reduced vulnerability of fishing communities to natural disasters and climate change.
• Diversifying livelihoods to reduce dependency.
• Increasing the voice, choice and capacity of SSF to take up alternative livelihood opportunities.
• Ensure equitable benefits to SSF from development of tourism, aquaculture and conservation efforts etc.
• Ensure that larger-scale operations do not undermine SSF and respects the human rights based approach and gender dimension.
• Enhanced capacity of SSF communities with regard to climate change adaption.
• Reducing the carbon footprint and negative environmental impacts of SSF.
• Management of SSF ensures that human well-being is balanced with ecological well-being.
• Ensuring that the benefits of the fishery trade lead to human development.
• The promotion of local and domestic trade ??? See the CCRF 11.2.15 on international fish trade
• Insuring that fisheries trade promotes human development.

Actions
• Define or characterize SSF.
• Institutional/administration reform.
• Legal reform.
• Policy development.
• Human capacity building.
• Information and communications.
• Institutional linkages and strengthened partnerships.
• Provision of social services and social protection.
• Provision of, and access to, financial services including micro-finance.
• Collaboration, institutional linkages and strengthened partnerships including regional agencies, INGO’s, NGO’s etc.
• Research and knowledge generation.
• Infrastructure and technology.
• Monitoring and evaluation.

Type of instrument

• Something that is quickly available for use.
• Global programme informed by a code or guideline that is developed by international consensus.
• This can then form the basis for the development of regional, national and local guidelines and plans of action for SSF.

Securing Small Scale Fisheries: Bringing Together Responsible Fisheries & Social Development.

12TH 14TH OCTOBER 2010 MAPUTO, MOZAMBIQUE.

At the COFI meeting in 2009, it was decided that there should be an international instrument for securing rights of the Small Scale Fisher People. This was a follow up work of the whole process initiated at Bangkok in 2008 at the 4SSF conference.
The respective officials decided at the COFI meeting to draft an instrument for securing small scale fishers while organizing 3 regional workshops in Asia[Bangkok, Thailand], Africa[Maputu, Mosambique]and Latin America [Caribbean islands] prior to COFI meeting in Janusry, 2011.
Andrew Johnston of Artisanal Fishers Assosciation at South Africa is one of a participant to African work shop at Maputu, Mosambique representing WFFP.
Following is his observations and would reflect his views of the same WS.

Herman Kumara

Sixty participants from the Africa continent which included government fisheries ministry, civil society and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations participated in this regional workshop in Maputo. The expected outcome was that there had to be guidance on a possible international instrument to plan, implement and report on securing sustainability and Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries in Small-Scale Fisheries within the Africa context. Secondly high priority actions and potential gaps in the implementation of good governance practices in SSF and related assistance needs. The decisions decided at this workshop would be presented to the 29th session of the FAO Committee on Fisheries in January 2011 Rome. Presentations were given on Governance, reducing vulnerability to natural disasters and climate change, gender, Human Rights based development framework and existing international instruments related to SSF in Africa. Given the dilemma of the majority of civil society invitees being stuck at O.R.Tambo International Airport due to Visa snags and a few only filtering into the workshop late on the second day the conclusion was very positive and enlightening. With government officials, civil society and policy-makers seating in close proximity in a small conference room, my expectation was one of “they disregard the lives of the downtrodden that they little understand” and nothing will be achieved but I was pleasantly surprisingly proved wrong in my assumptions. The workshop synthesis report from the working group’s discussion was the feeling that here from Africa were some genuine people who wanted to build equitable societies, achieve justice for all and not crucify our hope of a fairer Africa.


We therefore could walk away from this workshop extremely delighted on the outcome that the basis was comparable to the Bangkok resolutions and as a South African it was marvelous that our new small-scale policy actually was completely in line with the proposals. {See attachment of proceedings] The issue of co-management, ecosystem approach, communal rights, and fisher’s right to development, rights based approach and the rejection of privatization all being music to our ears. The sticky issues was the problem of migrant fishers which was not resolved mainly it was contrary to some countries national policy also because of only having a few civil society members present we did not give a full presentation from our group. This presentation will have to be forwarded by WFFF and WFFP to the secretariat along with additional proposals on human rights of small-scale fishing of which there was considerable debate. The feeling amongst us was that the issue of human rights was to an important issue to finalize although those already decided was acceptable, {still awaiting this from FAO] there was extra rights that should be work shopped amongst our members as the thinking on human rights differ in various cultures around the world. Whether the final findings from the regional workshops should be incorporated into the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries or be similar to guidelines as in the Right to Adequate Food was discussed at length and the general consensus it should be guidelines. All in All given the very bad organizational arrangements by the organizers of civil society it was a wonderful experience and a huge success as networking exercise and a boost towards our struggle for rights.

Thanking You,

Andrew Johnston,
World Forum of Fisher Peoples'[WFFP]