According to P.P. Chittaranjan, general secretary of the CITU-affiliated Kerala State Fishermen Federation, the fishermen’s strike against the Vizhinjam port should be called off in light of the State government’s choice to appoint an expert committee to investigate whether shoreline changes along the coast of Thiruvananthapuram are port-induced.
He was speaking after launching a protest dharna against the Central government’s decision to open the sea up for domestic and foreign monopolies by barring traditional fishermen from deep-sea fishing, which was organised in front of the Thiruvananthapuram AG’s office under the leadership of the Kerala State Fishermen’s Federation.
The central government intends to change the law to penalise fishing vessels that travel more than 12 nautical miles with steep penalties and jail time. He stated that thousands of fishermen would organise a rally in front of the Parliament to oppose the decision.
