PFF, PILER distribute essential items among detained Indian fishermen in Malir prison

A joint delegation of Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF) and Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER) distributed clothes, chappal and other essential items among 295 Indian fishermen, detained in Malir District Jail, here on Saturday.
Most of these fishermen are detained for many years without any trial or detained after completion of their sentences. Total 582 Indian fishermen are languishing in four jails of Sindh province – Malir District Jail (Karachi), Nara Jail (Hyderabad), District Jail Badin and District Jail Naushehro Feroz. All these fishermen are waiting for their deportation as the exchange of fishermen between two countries has been halted particularly after Mumbai terrorist attacks.
About 150 Pakistani fishermen are also detained in various jails of India waiting to be released in a ‘tit-for-tate’ deal. Under the Pakistani laws, prisoners who have completed their terms could be detained only for the next three months. However, after expiry of that period, either the prisoners should be freed or the government has to seek permission from the Supreme Court’s review board for further detention. In the case of Indian fishermen, the government has been seeking permission from the review board, which allowed that these fishermen be kept in jails.
A PFF and PILER delegation had visited the Malir district jail early this month to get signatures of few Indian fishermen inmates for the constitution petition which is being filed in Supreme Court to release the detained Indian fishermen. A similar petition has also been filed by Indian NGOs in Supreme Court of India.
Assistant Superintendent of Malir District Jail Shahabuddin Siddique assisted the visit of the delegation and also supervised the distribution of the essential items among Indian fishermen. He informed the delegation that the government is already providing all the essential goods to these inmates. They are also receiving adequate medical facilities, he added.
PFF delegation comprised of General Secretary of PFF Saeed Baloch, Ayoub Shan, Talib Katchi, Moosa Charan, where as PILER delegation included Secretary of PILER Board B. M. Kutty, Sharafat Ali, Shujauddin Qureshi and Ghulam Hussain Gabol.
Ends


Shujauddin Qureshi
Senior Research Associate
Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER),
Gulshan-e-Maymar, Karachi-75340

Scientists warn that GLENCAIRN PERMT A THREAT TO LINEFISH.

The scientists who are promoting the unsustainibility of net fishing in Glencairn are not only facile but dangerously misleading. These fish harvesters have a long history of operation and are a practice that is strongly rooted in customs and tradition that as to be inviolable as law. There is a long history of antagonistic behavior towards the net trekkers along the Simonstown coastline due to attempts to keep the area exclusively for whites and conservation was the main tool used to get them out of the area. The very birth of the struggle against racism and oppression of the fishers within the apartheid times culminated from the Southern Cape area of False Bay and Ocean view where sexual favors, bribery, defiance, corruption and violence were to play a part. What raised controversy and is questionable was that during the allocation process four new entrants were allowed in the False Bay area while three groups of fishers who for years had being irking a livelihood out of net fishing were marginalized. Many fish working communities over the years have developed their own systems for managing the way fisheries resources were exploited, these systems under traditional social, economic and technological conditions often supported the sustainable use of the resources and the benefits from this. The systems introduced under the apartheid and recent Quota system conflicted directly with traditional practices and thus most of these policies have failed and has contributed to a fragmented society in disharmony and wide-scale poaching. Their predicted assessments by marine scientists around the world were proven to be wildly inaccurate and therefore notions that marine science is the beginning and end of it and their results are sacred are today being challenged as never before by fishers themselves and so-called maverick scientists. Most of the calculations done on the resource are just only predictions and the analytical methods adopted by our scientists have been inherently socially and politically biased. Sanctioned or not the inshore fishers knowledge has proved to be a great deal more valuable than the scientists, but arrogance , aloofness and their harmonious relationship with the old industrial establishments is making a marriage between them and us extremely difficult. To blame the small-scale or even the recreational fishers for denuding the ocean is to render invisible the deep-seated structural causes of over-fishing in our countries waters. Many problems should be taken into consideration if conservation is to be addressed in the False Bay area such as pollution, dumping, excess warship maneuvering, encroaching developments, inshore trawling and long-lining. It should be recognized that access to food is a fundamental human right and states have an obligation to respect, promote and protect the full realization of the right to adequate food by not taking any measures that result in preventing such access. The interim rights is basically a social net which is a temporary transfer program which seeks to reduce poverty amongst the vulnerable fishers and to assure a minimum of food while a new policy is being drafted. Fish is considered the food of the poor and the catches from the False Bay area has played an important role in this aspect by always provided this source of cheap food for the surrounding communities. We are facing poverty, unemployment, food insecurity as never before and the great challenge in order to address this is that restitution, transformation and a review has to take place within the fishing industry and here science must along with us play a positive role. The removal of the net trekking rights has plunged numerous families into more abject poverty and hunger than they were already experiencing, and they cannot understand why their plight is the result of guesswork by scientists. The fundamental element in building a successful fisheries management system and sustain the resource is to empower the fish harvesting communities and embrace their knowledge. All they want is to be accepted as human beings with the right to provide for their families, a just livelihood along with adequate food and to lead a life of dignity and not to be impoverished by prejudicial and guessing scientific mumbo-jumbo.
Andrew Johnston
Artisanal Fishers Association.
No 9. 8th Avenue
Fairways. 7800
South Africa
Phone—0217059183
Cell-- 0822933464

TN protests over death of fisherman, blames Lanka

Express news service
Tags : Nagapattinam, Sri Lankan Navy, Fisherman
Posted: Fri Jul 09 2010, 23:55 hrs Chennai:
The fishing community in Tamil Nadu is up in arms after a fisherman from Nagapattinam district died following an alleged assault by Sri Lankan Navy personnel. The state government has lodged a strong protest about the incident with the Centre.
Chellappan (55) was the oldest among four fishermen from Vellapallam, near Vedaranyam in Nagapattinam, who took to the sea on Wednesday. They were reportedly caught by the Navy personnel while fishing off the Kodaikarai coast on Wednesday night. The Lankan personnel are alleged to have thrown their nets and catch into the sea and then attacked them.
Chellappan reportedly died due to the beating and his body was brought to Nagapattinam General Hospital on Thursday morning, police said. Local sources said that fishermen on two other boats were also threatened though the police have not received any formal complaint. The fishing community has charged the Lankan Navy with regular battery and destruction of their boats.
Sources in the Coastal Security Group, the sea wing of the state police said that the fishermen may have strayed into Lankan waters. "Fishermen follow their catch and many a time stray into their waters. But there are no cases of their Navy entering, nor do we do that," said an official.
CM M Karunanidhi urged the Centre to intervene. "Even though several appeals have been made by the Tamil Nadu Government to the Prime Minister and the concerned Union Ministers through letters as well as in person, such tragic incidents have not stopped. Whenever such incidents take place, we appeal to the Union Government and they in turn make an appeal or write to the Sri Lankan Government as a measure to placate us; however such incidents keep recurring," he said in a statement. The state government has announced relief of Rs 1 lakh from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund.
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APOSTLESHIP OF THE SEA- Stella Maris

Sea Sunday Message 11th July 2010
Issued by the Vatican AOS office:
The Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People
90th Anniversary of the Apostleship of the Sea (AOS) & 2010 is 'Year of the Seafarer'




Dear chaplains, volunteers, friends and supporters of the Apostleship of the Sea,
T
he International Maritime Organization (IMO) has declared 2010 the “YEAR OF THE SEAFARER”. We pay tribute to the 1.5 million seafarers for their unique contribution to society at large. While sailing across the seas of the world many Seafarers find themselves in difficult situations created by nature, but often also by people. We need to increase awareness about these matters.
Seafarers are usually defined as “invisible people”, passing quickly through the ports. The annual celebration of Sea Sunday invites all Christian communities to see and recognize them as “real people” who, with their hard work and sacrifices, make our lives more comfortable.
Seafarers labour differently compared to those who work on land. We do not see them going to work every day. Their contract requires from them to leave wife, children, family and friends for a long period of time. They sail from port to port often in isolated places with little time to go ashore before they sail out again. The perimeter of the vessel is the limit of their world, the confined space of the cabin is their 'home'. They share their work with people of different nationalities and religions, often using a “Babel of languages” to communicate. For seafarers loneliness is a constant companion. Injustices are frequent. Moreover in these times of economic crisis crews are easily abandoned in foreign ports. “Pirate” attacks are becoming more rampant. When an accident occurs criminalization and detention are sometimes the price they pay on behalf of the vessel owner or the chatterer.
Technological progress has made many changes in the maritime world improving safety and reliability of the vessels. Turn-around time in ports is too fast and brief. However what continues unchanged and provided by the AOS is that which relates to human needs of seafarers and fishers. These needs are simple- a warm welcome in a foreign country, a vehicle to transport them to the city, a telephone or a computer to connect with their family and loved ones, a priest to celebrate Holy Mass –(if they are Catholic)-- or bless them, a friend to listen to their stories and problems, a volunteer or a pastoral agent to visit them in hospital or in prison.
The Apostleship of the Sea was founded by a small group of committed lay people in Glasgow 90 years ago on the 4th October 1920, to provide spiritual and material assistance to “neglected” Catholic seafarers and to provide for their needs. Since then it has grown beyond all expectation. - 67 countries , 167 ports, more than 400 Stella Maris Centres or outreach stations - Looking back at its humble beginning we can see the providential hand of God in the way in which the AOS has spread throughout the world.
Providing pastoral care, especially through ship visiting for seafarers and fishers remains our main concern as it was at the origin of this Apostolate. Therefore, we would like to encourage everyone to continue to support this “Work” hoping that the local Churches will be more and more involved in this pastoral care.
The Apostleship of the Sea, with its network of “Stella Maris” and Centres around the world, is always available to respond to the seafarers' requests, welcoming them to 'a home away from home' and making their life a little easier.
The chaplains and volunteers in many ports of the world are visiting hundreds of vessels, welcoming thousands of seafarers of all religions and nationalities offering counselling, clothing, telephone cards, money and providing 'a safe and secure port' in times of crisis; last but not least, helping to maintain in their lives the openness towards transcendental values.
On the international and national level the Apostleship of the Sea also does advocacy work to promote seafarers rights and provide justice for seafarers.
In remembering its 90th FOUNDATION ANNIVERSARY and celebrating the Year of the Seafarer, we would like to make an appeal to the States to speed up the ratification of the 2006 Maritime Labour Convention, a fundamental instrument to improve the working and living conditions of seafarers.
Message issued by the Vatican office of the AOS
Published and circulated with emphasis, italics, editions
by Fr. Xavier Pinto, C.Ss.R.National Director AOS India and Regional Coordinator South Asia and Gulf States.
Redemptorist Fathers, 876, Alto Porvorim.GOA. India. 403521
stellamarisindia@yahoo.com


Finally everyone on this occasion is invited to pause for a moment and pray for them and their families. We recommend to Mary, Star of the Sea, the chaplains and volunteers who every day generously walk along piers, climb gang ways and show love and concern for “those who for various reasons live and work in the maritime world” (Motu Proprio Stella Maris, Introduction).

Stop issuing fishing permits or face crisis, govt told

Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Mon, 07/05/2010 9:38 AM | National

Activists renewed calls Saturday for the government to stop issuing fishing permits to large vessels, because fish numbers in many Indonesian bodies of water have reached critical levels due to overfishing.
The Peoples Coalition for Justice in Fisheries (Kiara) warned the government that failure to restrict fishing in the country’s waters would result in a major fish shortage by 2015.
The coalition proposed a five-year moratorium on permits for big fishing vessels — foreign-or domestic-owned — of 30 deadweight tons or more.
“Our finding shows overfishing has occurred in most of the country’s waters,” Kiara’s secretary-general Riza Damanik told The Jakarta Post.
He said that several countries, including China, Japan and European states had implemented moratoriums in their own waters to allow time for fish to replenish.
Indonesia is one of the 10 biggest fish producing countries in the world.
Quoting statistics from the National Commission on Fish Resource Assessment, Riza said fish numbers in six Indonesian bodies of waters had become critical since 2006.
The six areas are the Malacca straits, the South China Sea, the Java Sea, the Flores Sea, the Makassar Strait, the Pacific Ocean and the Sulawesi Sea.
“The areas have been over-exploited but the government has not moved to protect the sea resources,” he said.
Many trawlers still operate in bodies of water where trawling is illegal, including off the coast of northern East Kalimantan. The government banned trawling in Indonesian waters in 1980.
“The Presidential Decree [which bans trawling] is still in place but trawling continues in East Kalimantan. We have found trawlers operating in waters off Tarakan where traditional fishermen have been complaining about decreasing catches,” he said.
“Where trawlers operate, fish stocks dwindle, coral reefs are damaged and social divides among fishers are triggered,” he said.
About 15 million people work as traditional fishermen in the country.
The government has repeatedly acknowledged that illegal fishing is rampant in Indonesian waters, often involving foreign vessels.
Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Fadel Muhammad has accused foreign vessels of illegal fishing in Indonesian waters. Many of those had no fishing permits or instead carried fake documents.
Data from the ministry showed the country impounded 186 foreign vessels for illegal fishing in Indonesia in 2008, compared to 184 the previous year.

The coalition has said Indonesia’s fisheries potential is slashed by 30 to 50 percent every year due to illegal fishing

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/07/05/stop-issuing-fishing-permits-or-face-crisis-govt-told.html