NFSF General Secrerary's Deposition on behalf of Indian Small Scale Fishing Communities before Niti Ayog-FAO at Voluntary National Review on 07 March 2025, India International Centre, New Delhi
Profile
Sebastiao Anthony Rodrigues hails from Goa. He is associated with All Goa Small Scale Responsible Fisheries Union (AGSSRFU). He holds PhD degree from BITS Pilani for his work titled "Intra-inter conflicts and sustainability issues in the Fisheries of Goa: an environmental ethical approach". Currently he discharges his duties as General Secretary of National Federation of Small-Scale Fishworkers (NFSF).
Organisational Brief
National Federation of Small-Scale Fishworkers (NFSF) is registered under Indian Trade Union Act 1926 in 2024. It has active presence in several States/Union Teritories in India involving marine as well as inland Fisheries. Some of the States/Union territories where it has affiliated Fisher Union includes Mahatashtra, Goa, Kerala, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Andaman and Nicobar Island, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Manipur, Kashmir and Rajashthan. Work is ongoing other States such as Tamilnadu, Karnataka, Delhi, Gujarat, Assam etc. The first objective of NFSF is to work towards the protection of the life and livihood of small-scale fish workers to ensure that they live a life of dignity. The second objective is to give preference to promote interests of the vulnerable sections of small-scale fishing workers including women fish workers. Origin of NFSF can be traced back to 2016 when National Platform for Small Scale Fish Works - Inland [NPSSFW(I)] was formed. It transitioned into National Platform for Small Scale Fish Workers (NPSSFW) in 2020 when Marine fishing organisation joined in. Organisation also has its mission statement outlining experiences and challenges.
Key Overarching Challenges
1. Fishers and their rights are not recognised.
Recommendation: Those who primarily depend on water spaces (ponds, lakes, streams, creeks, tributaries, rivers, Khazan land water channels, sluice gates, lagoons, estuaries, seas and oceans) in India should be recognsied as a separate legal identity and their rights over these water spaces and their surroundings for carrying out various activities as fishers, related to fishing and allied activities, should be recognised and recorded forthwith through an enactment of the Parliament. Formulation of the fishing rights laws must be done in consultation with fishing communities all over India.
2. Fishers don't have right to protect water spaces
Recommendation: The enactment to recognise fishers and their water spaces on which their livelihood is dependent upon should also include the recognition of their authority over these water spaces and all that it contains, to protect, conserve and regulate its access and use.
3. There is no administrative mechanism to enforce SSF Guidelines and Ecosystem based approached in CCRF; both are FAO instruments that India is signatory to.
Recommendation:
(A) National Implentation Plan be launched to enforce CCRF and SSF Guidelines in India.
(B) Creation of a fisher community centered democrtic institutional mechanism to carry out various things mentioned such as
enforcement of Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (SSF Guidelines) and Ecosystem based approached in Code of Conduct for Respspinsible Fisheries (CCRF); both are Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) of United Nations Organisations (UN).
(C) Set up authority to approve lease on privately owned ponds or tanks taken on lease, including fixing and increment of lease rent and protection against eviction approve any projects on and /or affecting access to and use of their traditional water spaces and approve compensation, relief, rehabilitation and resettlement.
Review all such projects that have displaced fishers and/or prevented their access and use of specific water spaces where compensation, relief, rehabilitation and resettlement have not been proposed or not carried out if planned or not completed if approved
identify, demarcate and map all the traditional water spaces and its access and use, approve and record them so that these can be entered into all other government's official records.
(D) Prevent or regulate as may be all activities that are harmful for the water spaces and its surroundings, including the flora and fauna, that cause pollution of any kind,
be empowered to oversee the clearing of debris of the state machinery.
(E) Make any and all violation of fishers as cognisable crime for which the the fishers gram sabha shall be authority to initiate proceedings against any official violating the law through issue of notice to the Chief Secretary giving a period of 60 days to initiate action against the alleged violator.
(F) Empower and regulate the mode of fishing to ensure sustainability and justice.
(G) Review all existing cases in view of the legislation for recognition of fishers' rights and withdraw those falling within its scope.
(H) Empower fisher communities and their gram sabhas to review and approve all wetland conservation programme. No activity may be permitted along the coasts or in coastal waters without the Free, Prior, Informed Consent of traditional fishers.
(I) Fishers must form integral part of process to prepare and implement coastal management plans.
(J) Launch a national programme to complete the implementation of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 (FRA) on forest lands accessed and used by fishers including the operationalisation of the community forest resource management plan as envisaged under the law including control over decision making on the plan and their incorporation into the forest working plan including suitable modification as rquired under FRA.
(K) Amend National Waterways Act 2017 along with Major Ports Authority Act 2021 to be in tune with FRA and the above proposed fisher rights Act with prior informed consent of fishers and their communities.
4. Small scale fish farmers of the country do not have any security of lease on privately owned ponds or tanks taken on lease
Recomendation:
Introduce regulations for proper agreement, fixing and increment of lease rent and protection against eviction
Consequences of fishers having been non-legal entities in India
1. Expelled from their villages like Hanuman Koli wada by JNPT 40 years ago and still rehabilitation is not completed at Uran Taluka of Maharashtra. When they resorted channel blockade of the Port in January 2025 Union Shipping Minister gave them assurance but they also got notices served for resorting to channel blockade.
Recomendation: Creating mechanism to complete all pending rehabilitation issues.
2. 2 lakh square meters of Stretch of Zuari river known for fishing in Goa has been leased out for 30 years in October 2010 by MPT to two private companies to set up Marinas for tourism purposes. Lease agreement doesn't record existence of fishing communities in Zuari river. One example that would concrete the coast through Port-led development.
Recomendation: Get Union Ministry of Shipping, National Waterways to cancel lease deeds of the two Marinas in Marina through Mormugao Port Authority (MPA).
3. (A) Goa's Mandovi river mouth traditionally known for fishing is turned into gambling den with crowding of floating ships with casinos inside. Mandovi waters neat the casino vessels are also know to contain ecoli bacteria due to release of raw sewage clandestinely.
Mandovi Fisheries has taken setback also because of water sports that drives away river fish due to sound pollution from boat engines.
Recommendation: Free Mondovi river of all the casino vessel in its waters and ban water sports in rivers of Goa.
(B) State government has been careless till date in lifting debris of Mondovi bridge that collapsed on 05 July 1986. Abandoned debris has created blockade for fish movement from Arabian Sea into the Mandovi river.
Recommendation: Get State machinery act to clear pending debris.
4. Traditional Fishers with dignity are forced to fight for their survival in the face of Port installations at Wadvan in Maharashtra.
Recommendation: Make Public Hearings compulsory for Port Projects.
5. Farmers who lost their cultivable land and houses turned fishers due to submergence under Jaikawadi dam over Godavari river at Sanbhajinagar (formerly known as Aurangabad) district of Maharashtra. Now same Fishers face threat of being expelled as the dam water is planned to installed solar panels over water surface to generare electricity. Nearly 40,000 people's livelihood in several villages around is at stake.
Recommendation: Allow fishers to carry on fishing activities in Jaikawadi dam waters without hinderance. Abolish solar panels project over dam waters.
Fishers deliberate marginalization at Govind sagar talav at Takleband, Ahmadnagar, Sambhajinagar district, Maharashtra with regard to access to fishing in village water Commons.
Recommendation: Take inmidiate steps to redress the marginalization of fishers by granting rights to fish at Takleband talav.
6. Keleghai river Bank at East Midnapur district is allowed to receive effluent discharge of dye factory. Fishers protests are constant yet no response from West Bengal state administration.
Recomendation: Shutdown units at the river banks that are polluting Keleghai river.
7. In Kerala cage fishing is being promoted in rivers where traditional Fishers carries on their capture fishing activities. Now the tension. Similar situation is also in Karnataka.
Recommendation: Task force be constituted at National level to examine ecological and political impact of cage fishing on traditional fishing communities.
8. In Karnataka's Uttar Kanada district Fishers are expelled from the coast under police violence at Tonka, Kasarkod village in Honnavar taluka, prevented from fishing by police at Keni village in Ankola taluka. 45 people are arrested and taken to Dharwad Jail and till date there is no bail from 25.02.2025. Superitendent of Police (SP) of Karwar gave press conference wherein he referred to Fishers as encroachers of the Sea.
Recommendation: Set up panel to investigate causes of failure of State and to Act.
9. In Sunderbans small scale fisherfolk women engaged in artisans fishing who venture into Kalindi river for fishing are facing harassment from Border Security Force (BSF). BSF orders that these women deposit their Aadhaar Card with them before entering the river. And then BSF further insists that after fishing they have to exit from the same access point and collect the Aadhaar card. This has increased headaches of these women and pushed them under pressure.
Recomendation: Gram Sabhas legally are to be empowered to issue notice to forest, fisheries, and irrigation and to the BSF to ensure fishing without any troubles and to initiate action against those officials who disregards such notices.
10. Women fishers whose husbands are killed through tiger attacks while fishing are known as Tiger widows. Tiger widows need support. They are single women and most often get no compensation. All tiger widows were promised Rs.3000/- every month but this was not given.
They not only struggle with the death of their husbands but also have to pay Rs.1 lakh for registering their boats annually.
They receive no reliefs during cyclone when they cant go to sea. State needs to subsidize for Tiger widows.
Revommendation: Special review mechanism be put in place to monitor justice is Toger widows' problems are redressed quickly.
10. Fishers entering Sundarban Tiger Reserve (STR). Fishers are penalised for entering the STR without a boat license certificate (BLCs) which were given to 923 boat owners in 1973. Almost all the BLC holders have left fisheries and now they rent their BLCs to the fishers for Rs. 1,00,000. The fishers are also penalised for entering the core area of STR even if they have a BLC.
Recommendation: Immediate survey of active fishers in Sundarbans who go for fishing in STR. Issue new BLCs based on scientific assessment of fishing effort and sustainable yield.
11. In Sunderbans again at Matla river that flows towards Satjelia island, fishing is disrupted due to large tourism boats. These boats not only tear apart fishing nets laid in the waters but also pollute the river as they have diesel as their fuel. Tourist boats near Satjelia area on Matla river also disrupt fishing activity
Recommendation: Shift the boats onto Solar energy. Review permissions for tourism boats to introduce necessary conditions to address fisher concerns.
12. Sal river in Goa is facing acute pollution problems due to discharge of effluent sewage treatment plants and domestic sewage into the river.
Recomendation: Create legal entity to protect, defend and clear Sal River. Make rejuvenation program transparent for public.
13. Goa's Chapora, Tiracol, Mandovi and Zuari rivers face severe problem of sand mining and created situation hostile to fishing and ecology. This problem is in several parts of India including Assam, Uttar Pradesh and Kashmir.
Recomendation: Stop sand mining in rivers that are known for fishing activities.
14. Conservation program of wetlands are pushing fishers out of fishing based livelihoods. This is the situation not only of Sunderbans but of several other wetlands as well. Deepor Beel at Guwahati, Assam is the case in focus wherein fishers are facing pressure with administration attempts to reduce their fishing spaces after it being declared as Ramsar site.
Recomendation: Create legal provision and administrative mechanism within ambit of Forest Rights Act 2006 to ensure fishers are not expelled from the fishing spaces.
15. There is increasing induction of lease system of fishing sites. Manipulation of pricing offer push SSF communities out of fishing occupation. This is happening in lakes and dams on the outskirts of Pune, Maharashtra in Bhima Koregao and several other villages all over India. This is popularly known as thekedari system or contractor system wherein middleman controls and fishing communities loose their respect, dignity and power to decide. This system is traced in Rajashthan, Marashtra, Odisha etc.
Recomendation: Abolish contract system in Fisheries.
16. Increasing violence of Forest officials is evident in Ganga river in Bihar-Jharkhand border after certain stretch got declared as Dolphin sanctuary. Similar Forest officials indulge in violence towards fishing communities in Sunderban Tiger Reserve too.
Recomendation: Under Forest Righrs Act the Grama Sabhas are the only authority to conserve the forest areas which fall under their traditional territory Community Forest Resource area (Sec.3(1)(a) read with Sec.5 of FRA). This must be enforced.
17. Accelerated growth of mechanised fishing India at both East as west coast of India has caused fish famine to the Sea. For weeks and even month no fish catch is found during fishing trips at Sea. This was the case in 2024 on certain portions of Karnataka and West Bengal coast.
Recomendation: Create enforcement system within context of current laws. Revisit existing Fisheries laws and make them favorable to SSF communities.
18. The situation of SSF is aggrevated due to climate crisis impacts in combination with anthropogenic factors. In late December 2024 it rained in West Bengal coast spoiling dried fish inflicting heavy losses to fisher economy. Certain portions of beaches in Kerala, West Bengal and Karnataka are being swallowed by Sea water. There is crisis of coastal stress currently and there is no sincere inter-disciplinary, inter-department, inter-agency decentralised approach in place to tackled problems that we face. Even disaster managent is financially sought to be controlled directly by Ministry of Home Affairs.
Recommendation: Allocate sufficient funds to SSF community that can be accessed in hassle free manner to respond to climate crisis.
19. Government schemes meant for fishing communities suffer from two main shortcoming. Firstly, they are conceived without consulting fishing communities. Secondly, they are administered without collaboration of fishing communities.
Recommendation: Involve fishing communities at the conceptualization stage of schemes meant for the welfare and benefit of fishing communities.
20. Spread of plastic in rivers and other fishing spaces
Recommendation: launch time-bound program to clean up water spaces of plastic waste. Conceptualize program that would avoid plastic waste finding plastic waste in fishing waters.
21. In Goa open cast iron ore Mines has caused siltation and flooding of Cudnem, Bicholim and Kushavati rivers.
Recommendation: Mines in the catchment areas of these rivers must be shut down.
22. Dredging of Rivers has proved to be detrimental Fisheries in practice. In Goa due to dredging of the Sal river bed there is no yield of prawns caught by the (Arinet) and other benthic varieties that on river bed such as oysters locally known tisreo and hubleo (venus mercenaria).
Recomendation: dredging of rivers must be prohibited.
23. Karnataka government creating new Port limits to non major ports and newly announced ports. For example: the entire honnavar taluka coastal water covered with three port limits: Honnavar Port, Pavinkurva Port, and manki Port limits. In Question/answer no. 143 dated 5-3-2025 of Karnataka Legislative Council Port Minister told Assembly that according to law small scale fishers do not have any rights in Port limits. And they are considered as risks. The entire small scale fishery of Uttar Kannada District is under threat.
Recommendations: Port limits provision must not be made applicable wherever it obstructs fishing activities. Small Scale Fishers must not be narrated as threat but as stewards as SSF Guidelines endorses this narration.
24. Sea erosion
Recommendations: Building Sea Tube Walls or Planting Mangroves along the coast
25. Beach Sand Mining: A Growing Concern-
Beach sand mining is emerging as a major issue in Kerala, Odisha, Northern Andhra Pradesh etc. In West Coast States like Goa sand dunes are destroyed to make way for various tourism projects such as hotels, parking sites etc thereby concretizing of coast. It creates coastal ecological insecurity.
Recommendations: Ban beach sand mining and introduce effective measures to protect and restore sand dunes. Concretization of coast must be reversed.
26. Welfare of Fishing Communities in Education and Health Care
Recommendations: Adequate welfare schemes for the benefit of fishers with regard to education, housing and health care access need to be formulated and enforced with fisher community participation from conceptualization to administration of the schemes.
27. Absence of baseline data on Fisheries in number of States in India like Manipur
Recommendation: Adequate measures be taken to make fishers and Fisheries baseline data available in public domain.
28. Pollution issue of Thane, Raigad district, Maharashtra of traditional fishing zones including Thane creek and it's sub-creeks such as Kasadi creek, Kopara, panvel, kharghar, Diwale creek, Belapur, Nhava Shewa creek highly contaminated due to heavy industrial pollution from chemical and pharmaceutical units in operation.
Recommendation: Urgent measures be taken to restore these water spaces to make them free from pollution and as sites for healthy fish catch with zero contamination levels.
29. There are increasing access to beach blockades for traditional fishing communities Goa due tourism promoted concretization of coast.
Recommendation: No new constructions be petmitted in the No Development Zone(NDZ) under the Coastal Regulations Zone (CRZ) regulations so as to protect easementary rights of fishing communities.
Sebastiao Anthony Rodrigues
General Secretary
National Federation of Small-Scale Fishworkers (NFSF)
