Fight for Rights
Rights of traditional fishermen should be protected. Delegation of fishermen has meet for various issues including the problems with Sri Lankan Navy personnel, diesel subsidy and enhancement of central subsidy for deep sea fishing boat and among others. As fish was a cheap source of protein for a large section of the population in the country. Fish is an essential component in most of the States along with cereals, pulses and vegetables.
We demanded a Fishers Rights Act to protect interests of the marine fishermen, the communities which are not into active fishing, the coastal communities who depend on it and the coastal poor.
Such an Act would safeguard their lands, livelihood rights and habitat. “At present, coastal land is a prime target. In the context of the Sagarmala Plan, the coast, the ocean and even the sea bed are being monetized through tourism and industrialization. There is no longer any space for traditional fishermen,”
Working to preserve their traditional right to the seas and prevent the forces of corporate and industrial fisheries from wrecking havoc in the coastal areas