TN govt to hold meet with fishers on final Coastal Zone Management Plan draft

Chennai, March 10 (IANS) The Tamil Nadu Environment Department will hold consultative meetings with representatives of various fishermen associations across the state to discuss the final draft of the Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP).

The National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR) revised the CZMP on behalf of the Tamil Nadu State Coastal Zone Management Authority (TNSCZMA) after widespread opposition from fishermen.

The fisherfolk had raised concerns that the draft plan released in 2022 excluded key ecological areas such as salt pans, water bodies, backwaters, and other sensitive zones.

According to sources in the Tamil Nadu Environment Ministry, the NCCR has submitted the revised final draft to the TNSCZMA during a recent meeting.

Supriya Sahu, Secretary of the Environment, Climate Change, and Forest Department, who also serves as the Chairperson of TNSCZMA, has instructed the Fisheries Department to arrange a pre-consultation meeting with representatives of various fishermen’s associations from all coastal districts.

It may be recalled that when the 2022 draft CZMP was released, several legal challenges were filed before the Southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT).

Petitioners urged the tribunal to direct the TNSCZMA to use the 1996 CZMP as the base map for the preparation of the 2019 plan, instead of the 1997 CZMP, which allegedly led to the exclusion of crucial ecological areas.

The NGT upheld these concerns and directed the Tamil Nadu government to prepare the 2019 CZMP using the 1996 base map.

However, the petitioners alleged that the TNSCZMA had failed to comply with this directive.

Fishermen’s organisations have also opposed the draft land-use maps, arguing that they fail to demarcate essential areas such as fishermen’s habitations and designated fishing zones.

Some petitions even pointed out that portions of existing water bodies were not marked in the draft maps, making them incomplete and inaccurate.

In response to these issues, the NGT instructed the TNSCZMA to conduct a ground verification of ecologically sensitive areas where required, or where specific concerns were raised.

The tribunal also directed the authority to follow the orders of the High Court and incorporate inputs received from District Collectors.

Based on these findings, the draft CZMP must be corrected, modified, and updated before the final version is released for public consultation.

Antony John, leader of a Tamil Nadu fishermen’s association, welcomed the government’s decision to hold discussions with fishing communities regarding the CZMP.

“We appreciate the Tamil Nadu Environment Department’s initiative to consult with fisherfolk before finalising the Coastal Zone Management Plan,” he told IANS.

The consultative meetings are expected to play a crucial role in addressing the concerns of the fishing community while ensuring a sustainable and ecologically sound coastal management strategy.

–IANS

aal/rad