Fishing harbours, fish landing centres, and the transportation of fish by road have all come to a halt as part of the coastal hartal, with protest meetings being held throughout Thursday.
Published Feb 27, 2025 | 11:06 AM ⚊ Updated Feb 27, 2025 | 11:06 AM
A meeting against coastal mining held in Kochi. (Supplied)
Synopsis: The fisher community in Kerala staged a coastal hartal protesting against the Union government’s move to mine the sea off the Kollam coast. Fishing harbours, fish landing centres, and the transportation of fish by road have all come to a halt. Meanwhile, experts flagged the potential environmental erosion due to mining.
The Fisheries Coordination Committee in Kerala staged a coastal hartal in the state on Thursday, 27 February, protesting against the Union government’s move to mine the sea off the Kollam coast.
While port operations and fish sales are halted and fishing activities across Kerala are at a standstill, daily life remains largely unaffected, vehicles can operate, and shops stay open.
While it is a 24-hour hartal in the Kollam district, it will continue until 6 pm in other areas.
The protest, led by committee chairman and KPCC Working President TN Prathapan, is unlikely to cause major disruptions. Kerala’s fishing industry directly employs around 2.5 lakh people, with another 15 lakh relying on it indirectly. The state has approximately 4,000 trawlers and over 25,000 other fishing vessels.
As part of the hartal, Chellanam fishermen staged a midnight demonstration. The fishers have also planned a Parliament march on 12 March.
Thousands of fishing vessels have ceased operations, fish processing units have shut down, and fish sales have been temporarily halted as fishermen, fishing boats, traditional canoe owners, and other stakeholders took to the streets.
Fishing harbours, fish landing centres, and the transportation of fish by road have all come to a halt as part of the coastal hartal, with protest meetings being held throughout Thursday.
The Cochin Fisheries Harbour Union staged a protest. However, according to Wilson, a leader of Kerala Swatantra Matsya Thozhilali Federation (KSMTF) in Kochi, MP Hibi Eden who had initially promised to inaugurate one of the protests, backed out due to his busy schedule.
So far, the hartal has not disrupted harbour activities or coastal life in areas such as Fort Kochi, Chellanam, and Munambam. However, coordinators have indicated that more small demonstrations will be staged in the coming hours.
The fishers demanded to revoke the decision to allow sand mining from three blocks off the Kollam coast with a total area of 242 sq km. The Union Ministry of Mines initiated the tendering process in November 2024 and the preferred bidder is expected to be announced by 27 March.
Meanwhile, experts flagged the potential environmental erosion due to mining.
A recent report by Kerala University detailed the potential environmental, biodiversity, and socio-economic impacts of offshore sea sand mining off the Kollam coast.
Conducted by the Department of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries, the study warns that mining activities could cause irreversible damage to the productive fishing zone there.
The report, highlighting the ecological significance of the Kollam coastal region which supports a diverse marine ecosystem, said the shallow waters contain rocky reef formations that provide crucial habitats for various species.
Moreover, divers from Friends of Marine Life and Scuba Cochin discovered a vibrant ecosystem, teeming with hard and soft corals, off the Kollam coast. The group, which found 15 varieties of corals in the region, now plans to conduct digital mapping of underwater life there for further studies by researchers.
According to reports, the area houses five species of hard corals and over 30 species of soft corals. Nearly two-thirds of Kerala’s recorded soft coral species are found off Kollam, underscoring the region’s ecological richness.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil with inputs from Sreelakshmi Soman.)
