WFFP urges full implementation of UN Law of seas

The World Forum of Fisher Peoples has sought a permanent solution to tackle the issue of arrest and incarceration of fishermen crossing the national borders and entering the territory of neighbouring countries.
The Chairperson of the Pakistani Fisherfolk Forum and Co-Chairman of the WFFP Muhammad Ali Shah, today said the five-day international conference of the WFFP Coordination Committee, which concluded here yesterday, discussed several challenges confronted by fisherfolk across the world and also solutions by which the challenges could be faced.
It was decided at the meet that the seventh General Assembly of the WFFP be held in 2017 in New Delhi to mark the 20th anniversary of the formation of the movement, Shah told reporters in a press conference.

He said WFFP "is now a global fisheries movement representing 40 million fisherfolk in 37 countries."
The meet insisted through a resolution that a permanent solution be found to tackle the issue of incarceration of fishermen crossing the national border and entering territories of neighbouring nations in the case of the South Asian context.
"Mere promises of release of the arrested fishermen are not sufficient. It is important that a policy decision be evolved by the South Asian countries -- India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka -- that no fisher people who had crossed the borders while fishing for their livelihood would be arrested," a resolution said.

Shah said the meet also resolved through a resolution "to intensify the demand that the provisions of the UN Law of the seas was seriously and fully implemented by the countries with adjoining sea borders, especially in the South Asian zone."

Dubbing the "ocean grabbing in the form of privatisation of coastal lands and Marine Protected Areas" as a very serious threat affecting small scale fishing communities in almost all the countries with sea front, the meet stressed through another resolution that "serious and implementable action should be taken by concerned governments against Ocean grabbing by the corporates having profiteering interests."

On issue of "Indian fishermen shot at and killed by Sri Lankan navy", the meet pointed out that the number was escalating since 1984 and the number had exceeded 600.
"The unfortunate truth is that the families of these fishermen who had been fishing for livelihood are not compensated sufficiently so that their children could pursue education," it was stated.