Visakhapatnam: Fisheries policy beneficial to corporates only

Visakhapatnam: The livelihood of the fishermen is unsafe and the fisheries procurement process is giving way to many doubts, pointed out All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) national general secretary Amarjeet Kaur.

Speaking at a 'Chalo Delhi' event organised here on Tuesday, she said the fisheries policy released by the Union government for the integrated development of fishermen was a boon to the businessmen and a bane to the traditional fishermen.

She opined that the guidelines indicate that the fishermen would continue to be fishermen forever.

If the fisheries procurement is done in public-private partnership, it would be beneficial to national, international private companies, said Amarjeet Kaur.

She alleged that pollution continues to harm fish, and the government departments indulge in the blame-game.

National president of All India Fisheries Workers Union J V Satyanarayana Murthy alleged that the government policy looked like a threat to the very survival of fishermen. He criticised the government for being negligent towards fishermen and called upon the community to fight for its rights.

Satyanarayana Murthy raised an objection that it was unsafe and risky to connect to international markets without carrying out any comprehensive analysis.

He said the action plan announced by the Andhra Pradesh government would not do any favour to the fishermen and that they would not be given adequate incentives.

General secretary of All India Fisheries Workers Union P Raju demanded a special ministry for fishermen and fisheries universities across the country.

CPI leader and Rajya Sabha member Binoy Viswam, national working committee members and samiti members were present.