AITUC-affiliated All India Fish Workers’ Association took out a huge rally in the city on Saturday to protest against attempts to relax Coastal Zone Regulation rules under the pressure of industrial lobby. The rally was organised to mark the inaugural of national convention of the association at Ambedkar Bhavan. They sought inclusion in the ST category, pension to those above 50 years, payment of Rs. 12,000 for two months in lieu of loss of income during annual fishing holiday to all women fish vendors and creation of separate ministry for fisheries. In case of fishermen feared drowned, their dependents should be given a compensation of Rs. 10 lakh. The fishermen wanted the government to pay Rs. 5 lakh per family for construction of houses after allotting 10 cents of land. Association national general secretary P. Raju told The Hindu that due to fishing by fishermen, whose population in the country was close to 2.5 crore, the country was earning a foreign exchange of Rs. 12,000 crore. He said both the Centre and the States should set up Central Schools exclusively for the education of fishermen’s children. CPI State assistant secretary J.V. Satyanarayana Murthy said they would highlight the demands of fishermen during two-day all India general strike proposed on January 8 and 9.