Odisha fishermen demand Rs 10k month-to-month livelihood help for ban throughout turtle nesting interval 

By PTI

BERHAMPUR: The conventional fishermen residing alongside the coast of Odisha on Wednesday, November 3, 2021, demanded enhancement of their livelihood help help to Rs 10,000 monthly through the seven month fishing ban interval for the conservation of the Olive Ridley turtles, the endangered species which go to in tens of millions yearly for mass nesting to the state.

The state authorities was offering Rs 7500 one time help to the restricted fishermen households within the state at current for the aim since 2018, after revising its earlier help of Rs 5000.

“It’s very difficult to maintain a family with such meagre assistance. Considering the present market rate of different commodities, we demand the government should increase the livelihood assistance to Rs 10,000 per month,” mentioned Okay Alleya, basic secretary, Odisha conventional fish employees’ union (OTFWU).

The fishermen and the trawler associations additionally demanded to scale back the ban interval from seven to 5 months, because the Olive ridley turtles had been coming close to the coast from January.

“We demanded the ban should be imposed from January 1 to May 31 with limited areas,” he mentioned.

Thousands of conventional fishermen, together with individuals concerned in fishing, promoting and boat mechanics change into jobless for seven months yearly from November 1.

“We want all the families, who depend on fishing and its related activities, to be covered in the livelihood support of the government”, he mentioned.

Presently, the federal government present help to solely 14,178 fishermen households in 4 districts – Ganjam, Puri, Jagatsinghpur and Kenrapara, who had been solely concerned in fishing actions.

“We want their number to be increased to at least 20,000,” he mentioned.

The basic secretary of OTFWU mentioned they’ve introduced the calls for within the high-level assembly held not too long ago by the federal government for cover of the Olive ridley turtles, who go to the coast for mass nesting yearly.

The authorities imposed the seven-month ban on fishing in round 120-km coastal areas in Gahirmatha and three river mouths – Rushikulya, Devi and Dharmara from November 1, 2021 to May 31, 2022, to guard the Olive ridleys.

Any fishing within the no fishing zone – 20-km away from the coast by way of mechanized boats trawlers could be banned within the space through the interval, mentioned deputy director of fisheries (marine) Basant Das.

Fishermen additionally demanded to scale back the realm of 20-km to 5-km from the coast because the no fishing zone, because the turtles usually congregate very close to to the coast.