A section of fishers and boat owners will go on a district-wide token strike on Monday protesting against the proposed Kerala Fish Auctioning, Marketing and Quality Control Ordinance. The protesters will also stage a dharna in front of the Fisheries Department office at Beypore.
Fishermen’s organisations and boat owners from Beypore claimed that the State government wanted to implement the ordinance as such without holding any public hearing. “If it is implemented, the government will be able to claim 5% of the auction amount as commission, which will double the loss of stakeholders in the sector,” they argued.
A functionary of the Kerala Boat Owners Association said the proposed ordinance was equal to open extortion in the name of supporting other ailing segments. “Those who came to power with a promise to do away with middlemen in the sector are now trying to emerge as middlemen,” he alleged.
A joint coordination committee of fishers and boat owners said the token strike would be organised in front of all district-level offices in the State. The committee also made it clear that it would never cooperate with the implementation of the proposed ordinance, as it would double the financial burden on the struggling community.
