NHRC to report on plight of marine fishermen

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has called for a status report on the socio-economic condition of traditional marine fishermen along the coastal villages, whose prospects have suffered since the introduction of a prohibition on fishing in a certain stretch of water from November to June. The rights panel also sought a report on the measures initiated by the state government to compensate the fishermen community’s loss of income following the turtle conservation programme.
The panel has specifically asked whether there has been any further reports of debt-ridden fishermen committing suicide since the incidents last year. Caught in a vicious cycle of debt, a series of marine fishermen from seaside villages have committing suicide in the past few years, highlighting the dwindling prospects of a livelihood in fishery-regulated seaside villages in coastal Orissa.
Though the suicide trend appears to have stopped in recent times, the economic condition of traditional marine fishermen is still under jeopardy. With fishing activity coming to a halt for major parts of a year, many fishermen have switched over to alternate vocations. There are reports of an exodus among the fishermen community to other states in search of alternative employment. Fishermen have turned into labourers.
The state government - in a bid to curb high mortality of certain marine species - has prohibited fishing activity within a seaward radius of 20 km from the Gahirmatha marine sanctuary from 1 November to 31 May in accordance with sections 2, 7 and 4 of the Orissa Marine Fishing Regulation Act (OMFRA), 1982.

source: orissaindia