The coastal fisher communities are always at the receiving end when it comes to having rights of their homestead land. Unfortunately, the traditional fisher communities did not consider it as a serious issue for two reasons. One: they strongly believed that they have a traditional and customary rights over coastal lands that the governments will honour. Second: for them fishing and related activities were the priority and never the coast.
With Coastal Regulation Zone Notification 1991, the fisher communities had indirect control over the coastal lands. But from 1994 till 2004, 26 times the notification was amended - without giving any notice to the local residents - and almost always with adverse impact to the communities.
The amendment proposed in 2005 had stiff resistance as fishers realised that they can be en mass displaced in the name of set back line. Long and persistent struggle resulted in amended CRZ Notification in 2011 that guaranteed the rights over homestead land.
Now the government is again on the move to displace the fisher communities by new amendments and the fisher communities are to start again resistance.
Funny is their life. While they have to literally struggle every day for their livelihood on the sea, they have to struggle also to ensure that they stay on the shore, close to their meager working assets.
With Coastal Regulation Zone Notification 1991, the fisher communities had indirect control over the coastal lands. But from 1994 till 2004, 26 times the notification was amended - without giving any notice to the local residents - and almost always with adverse impact to the communities.
The amendment proposed in 2005 had stiff resistance as fishers realised that they can be en mass displaced in the name of set back line. Long and persistent struggle resulted in amended CRZ Notification in 2011 that guaranteed the rights over homestead land.
Now the government is again on the move to displace the fisher communities by new amendments and the fisher communities are to start again resistance.
Funny is their life. While they have to literally struggle every day for their livelihood on the sea, they have to struggle also to ensure that they stay on the shore, close to their meager working assets.
