The National Fishworkers’ Forum along with all the constituent state Trade Unions held a day long sit in protest rally (dharna) in front of parliament in Delhi, on January 11, 2010.

The same day, there were sit-ins (dharnas) and rallies in front of state secretariats and district collectors' offices in different parts of India including the coastal towns of  Kutch, Mumbai, Mangaluru, Thiruananthapuram, Chennai, Vijayawada and Bhubaneshwar. According to the National Fishworkers’ Forum, its West Bengal unit plans to hold similar agitations in Haripur and Kolkotta on the 17th of January, 2010.

The aim of the current agitation of the millions of fishworkers of our country is to raise objections and proposals regarding draft bills to be presented in parliament in the coming session, on fisheries and related questions. The current UPA Government is preparing to table two bills in the  next session, including: 1) Marine Fisheries Regulation and Management Bill (draft) and 2) Traditional Marine and Coastal Fisherfolk (Protection of Rights) Bill (draft).

 The Dharna in front of Parliament was inaugurated by NFF Chairperson and a fish worker leader from Goa, Shri Matanhy Saldanha. He accused the UPA Government of keeping the traditional fishermen’s interest at bay to cater to industries, corporates and big shipping vessels, while formulating the draft bills – without consulting the most important stakeholders of the sea, the fisher people. He declared “It terrifies me to imagine the plight of our coastal areas and people if the draft Traditional Marine and Coastal Fisherfolk (Protection of Rights) Bill is passed in its present form. This will change the fate of our people and environment for the worse, forever. …UPA Government should keep this bill on hold, hold ….consultations with fisher people and then only finalise the bill and pass it in parliament.”

Another leader declared “….. the marine fish resources of India are threatened by over-exploitation and the future of the fishing communities is in jeopardy. … the current draft does not satisfy the aspirations of India’s one million strong marine fishermen and the 3.5 million-strong marine fishing community.”

T. Peter, Secretary, NFF, said that the Bill which does not even mention or define ‘fishermen’, reflects the lack of understanding of ground reality by the bureaucracy.