Climate change and release of toxic wastes into the sea are causing adverse effects on the marine fish population. And depletion of fish population is directly affecting the livelihoods of thousands of people who are depending on marine fishing, mainly the small scale fishers, said speakers in a workshop, ‘Multi-stakeholder consultation and networking of small fishers in India’ held at Chandipur recently.
The event organised by the East Coast Fish Workers’ Union and Institute for Motivating Self-employment’ was attended by trawler and mechanized boat owners of Andhra Pradesh, Chennai, West Bengal and Odisha.
“Small scale fishery is plagued by multiple challenges including lack of adequate financial resources, capacity issue, climate change, besides the Covid-19 pandemic. Pollution caused by toxic wastes which are let into the sea is causing severe harm to the fish population; even some marine species have become extinct due to the effects of toxic wastes. The depletion of fish population has reduced the catch drastically. So, it is high time the Central Government took steps to strengthen small scale fishery sector both in terms of policies and practices,” East Coast Fish Workers Union (ECFWU) secretary Sankar Behera told, adding that the Government should provide some incentives to fishers community during no fishing period between April 14 and June 14.