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NT Bureau
Chennai, Aug 7:

        Fishermen associations are up in arms against the proposed Coastal Zone Management (CZM) notification 2007 as it paved way for displacement of fishing communities..

        Addressing a press meet today under the National Campaign Against CZM notification, Kalaimani of Vangakadal Meen Thozhilalar Sangam said that more than 25,000 fishermen from Tamilnadu would participate in protests on 9 August against the notification.

        Kalaimani said, 'The coastal area is being largely targeted for destructive development practices.In line with it, the CRZ notification of 1991 was amended as many as 19 times due to the pressure on commercial interest.' Against this backdrop, he said scrapping away the 1991 notification at one stroke and replacing it with the CZM is nothing but a blatant effort to facilitate greater commercialisation of the coastal zone.

        The CZM also paves the way for displacement of fishing community from their habitats and the areas they have traditionally fishing. The MS Swaminathan Committee report has not recognised the traditional rights of fishing communities.

        Jesurathinam of Coastal Action Network said that the committee did not consult with the fishermen unions before making recommendations to the government.