Puducherry fishermen protest against flaws in Coastal Zone Management Plans

Members of the Meenavar Viduthalai Vengaigal, a fishermen organisation and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in Puducherry, on Friday (July 25, 2025), staged a demonstration near the Swadeshi mills here, in protest against flaws in the Coastal Zone Management Plans.

Leading the demonstration, R. Mangayarselvan, founder of the organisation demanded the inclusion of the fishing community’s local infrastructure in the Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) maps.

He said the draft maps were incomplete and lacked specific details on fishing zones, breeding and spawning grounds, common properties of fishing communities, and a comprehensive plan for the long-term housing needs of coastal fishermen as specified in the Coastal Regulation Zone Notification.

As many as 551.2 acres of local infrastructure in the coastal villages in Puducherry and 175.04 acres in Karaikal had been deliberately left out in the CZMP maps. He emphasised the need to include common properties, such as net-mending areas and fish auction or sale zones.

The map, in its present form, is incomplete and not in tune with the amended Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification of 2024 since it had left out key land use spaces of fishermen, he added.

Leader of Opposition R. Siva and representatives from CPI (M) participated.