Fishers say denied role in finalising coastal map

THE State Coastal Zone Management Authority is in the process of finalising the draft Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP), after the previous version was found to contain errors and omissions.

- SV KRISHNA CHAITANYA

However, two fishermen representatives - K Saravanan and R S Bharathi who are members of the Chennai District Coastal Zone Management Authority, claimed that fishermen are being excluded from the process.

Earlier, the southern bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had directed the Department of Environment and Climate Change to gather the details of fishing zones, fish breeding areas, village boundaries, community properties and the like from the Department of Fisheries and Fishermen Welfare to finalise the plan.