SagarMala will snatch away our livelihood, say fishermen

MANGALURU: Traditional fishermen held a protest on their boats on the banks of the Phalguni on Friday demanding the scrapping of the SagarMala project of the Union Government under which it has proposed a coastal berth at Bengre. They alleged that the project will affect the livelihood of traditional fishermen.

Phalguni Traditional Fishermen Association honorary president Muneer Katipalla, addressing the fishermen, said that the project, if implemented, will affect over 600 fishermen who are already under distress due to Covid-19. “The SagarMala project has destroyed the lives of the fishermen. The project, being implemented from Karwar to Mangaluru, is destroying the livelihoods of fishermen.The project will snatch the fishing sector from the fishermen, who are dependent on it, and hand it over to the corporates,” he alleged.

He said that in Bengre, over 1,000 fishermen in over 500 boats indulge in traditional fishing. “The project has damaged the river banks where traditional fishermen anchor their boats... it will pose a danger to the marine system. The authorities have not given any information about the project to the locals and simply went ahead with the project. The fishermen had urged the government to address their issues when the project started. But they have kept the fishermen in the dark and carried out the work using police force,” he added.

Earlier, hundreds of traditional fishermen and their families from Bengre and Tannirbavi gathered in their boats and shouted slogans against the project holding placards.Under this project, 70 cargo vessels, with a capacity of 5,000 tonnes, can be berthed taking away the anchoring facility for the traditional fishermen. It will also have a commercial wharf, a double lane approach road, passenger lounge, and a godown.