Northern Province Fisher People's Alliance organized its organizing committee meeting on 23rd June 2012 at National Youth Services Council Auditorium, Kandy Road, Vavunia. participants of Mannar, Jaffna and Kilinochchi Follow and evaluate the decisions of 31st May Minutes, the meeting held
at Jaffna alliance office and discuss on Preparatory work and the organize of the AGM of APNFP, and Some important notes from Reincorpfish Project.
1. Mr. S. Thaveratnem, the co-chairman of the ANPFP welcome
the group.
He had the view of this as very important as all the
northern districts supposed to attend this meeting. However, Mulaitvu district was
not able to take part the meeting again due to the security reasons and people
are reluctant to attend common activities due to fear. However, the
participants have a big role to play to establish the alliance and strengthen
it. Today, there are two main important work to be finalized. Those are as
follows;
·
Follow the decisions of 31st May meeting and to
finalize the proposed constitution.
·
Organize the AGM of ANPFP with sharing
responsibilities,
2. Introductory note from Dr. Soosai Anandan, Senior Lecturer,
Dept. of Geography, University of Jaffna.
There was a small group of Jaffna district with members of
NAFSO met on 31st May at the alliance office at Jaffna. Now the report has been
circulated. There are some points we discussed and planned should be clarified.
The situation of fishermen became further deteriorated.
The meeting of the Reincorpfish project was held at Cape
Town, South Africa. Herman Kumara, Dr. A.Soosaianandan and Ravi from university
of Jaffna, Dr. Oscar Amarasighe, Dr. Terney Pradeep Kumara from university of
Ruhuna participated from Sri Lanka. The main project actors are from Sri Lanka,
NAFSO, university of Jaffna, university of Ruhuna, and from India, Madras
Institute for Development Studies[MIDS] and FISHMARC, and university of Amsterdam,
from Holland and university of Cape Town from South Africa and Masifundise from
South Africa are the main partners of
the work. That is the way the project is operating, and the structure.
Dr. Soosao emphasized that there is a necessity to have a continuous
dialogue on the issues, mainly Indian Trawler issue in a collective manner.
Unless we united, it is difficult to overcome any of the issue. Issues of
Southern fishers come to Northern sea is also an issue. This is also explained
to the southern fishers.
There was a 3 day seminar on BOBP and Dr. Soosai has
attended to that. Some fisher leaders were also attended from Jaffna. Trawlers
and dingi boats are coming from Tuticourin to Vankalai, Thalvupadu in Mannar,
and Kalpitiya areas too. This is a big issue at Mannar district. As there were
15 delegates from India, we were able to raise the issue of Indian trawlers and
the adverse effects on Sri Lankan fishermen, their economy, destruction of
environment, social tensions among the Tamil fishermen in the north.
At the same meeting sea erosion, Dynamite fishing, trawler
issues were discussed. The discussion was held with the presence of the Dr.
Damitha De Soyza, the secretary of the fisheries ministry. So, the trawler
issues of Pesalai and Gurunagar were also highlighted with the secretary. The secretary
of MOF was ordered to the DFEOs at Mannar and Jaffna to totally ban the
trawling and report back to the her. The
navy officials were there at the meeting and they explained there is no pass
system at Mannar. But the fishers who were present at the meeting had explained
about the difficulties with the pass system. So at the same meeting secretary of
the MOF has given some solutions. Also Dr. Soosai reported that fishermen
complained to the fisheries ministerial secretary that the Indian trawler
operators are coming to SL side for sell their Sea Cucumber catches as this is
a banned species to catch in Tamil Nadu.
3. Mr. Thaveratnem thank to Dr. Soosai for the engagement of
the discussions with the Secretary of MOF and the BOBP team on the fisheries
issues faced by the Tamil fishermen in northern province of Sri Lanka.
Mr. Thaveratnem stated that the political interference on
fishing industry has substantially increased in the 4 districts. We can
increase the production further if there is a freedom for the northern
fishermen for fish with better facilities. There should be a master plan for
fishermen to develop fishing industry with their knowledge and experiences. In
Jaffna district, from the Karainagar to Vadamarachchi areas have been affected
with destructive fishing. Due to disturbances, use of stake nets in the sea,
the boats cannot move freely in the sea.
4. The discussion was held on Mulaitivu Fishermen and the
issues they are facing even after three years of war ending:
- Kokilai to Peiparapputti[85 Km] areas the beach seine and deep sea fishing is disturbed. This is due to the migratory fishing, high security zones and many other restrictions in those areas.
- Nandikadal, Nayaru, Kokilai, Salikadal, Sundikulam lagoons have been identified as potential areas for inland fishing. However, there should be a specific plan by the fisheries organizations, fisheries cooperatives to develop inland fishing industry in the area. So far there is no such thinking and need to prepare with the involvement of fishermen, fisheries officials, fisheries experts, university scholars, I/NGOs and researchers.
- Southern fishers come to those areas and catch sea cucumbers, use light course, purse seine nets, and lost the harmony along the coast. The fish schools are not coming to the coast due to those practices. The southern fishermen use scuba diving with oxygen tanks to catch sea cucumbers. The northern fishermen who are living in the area are not permitted to use those equipments and exploite resources as Southern fishermen do which is a discrimination.
- There are more than 1500 families who are the permanent settlers in the area has been disturbed their fishing practices. There were 7 beach seines which are belong to Sinhala beach seine operators who have been operating in the area for generations and registered at Mulaitivu district are also disturbed their beach seine operations due to those alien Scuba divers.
- There are 4300 fisher families living in the area. There are around 18 fisheries cooperative societies operating at Mulaitivu district.
- Even after one and half
years of the formation of alliance, we were not able to go and meet the
Mulaitivu people and bring them to join the alliance. The 18 fisheries cooperative
societies are not able to work
independently in Mulaitivu district. The people who have close connections
with military and associate with them have the opportunity to work
closely.
So the alliance members who were
gathered there agreed to meet them and bring them in to the alliance as early
as possible due to the serious issues faced by the fishermen there. "We
should know what is going on at Mulaitivu among our fisher communities. Hence
we need to talk to GA at Mulaitivu and go to meet the fisheries cooperative
societies. We need to take a decision
when to go and who will go? We can't delay this any further. Let us plan the
date and the team to go there."
5. Following decisions were taken
on bring the Mulaitivu group in to the alliance
A team will visit the fisheries
cooperatives and members from all three districts will be participated to it. So,
from Jaffna 6, Kilinochchi 2 and Mannar 2 will attend to this work. This visit
will be organized by Mahesh and Sooriuakumar of Vadamarachchi area.
6. Formation of Northern Province Fisher People's
Alliance
The group spent substantial time to finalize the alliance
constitution. There was a draft presented by Sooriyakumar which was drafted by
S.Thaveratnem and Sooriyakumar as agreed at the previous meeting held on 31st
May.
Ø 6.1
The proposed Structure is as follows;
·
6.1.1 Composition of the Alliance's General
Body- Number of representatives from each district is as follows;
ü
Jaffna 18
ü
Mannar 12
ü
Kilinochchi 10
ü
Mulaitivu 10
·
6.1.2 Composition of the alliance membership
ü
Rural societies, Smasams, District federation,
Alliance,
ü
There is a federation only in Jaffna. Others
have only Samasams but they can represent the Alliance.
ü
In northern province, there are 4 sea going
fishing districts and one land locked district, which is Vavunia.
·
6.1.3 Purpose:
The building of the lives and
livelihoods and to plan their development and protection of the war affected
people in the northern province districts.
·
6.1.4 Objectives:
ü
Enhance the livelihoods opportunities and build
up the trust of the fishing communities on their future.
ü
Build up new livelihoods for the northern
province fisher people, fishing communities for their better survival,
ü
Protect the traditional social structure, build
up social well being of the fishing communities uplifting the economic
conditions,
ü
Implement the fishing with new technologies and
new techniques for fishing,
ü
Identify and find solutions on Employment,
economic and social difficulties,
ü
Improvement of Culture, arts of the fisher
communities.
ü
Educate the Livelihoods, social, cultural issues
of the people and bring those issues up to national and international levels for find better
solutions,
ü
Trickle down the existing knowledge to next
generations and the introduction of new techniques for them for future,
ü
Identify the destructive fishing operations and
to find solutions on them through motivating the law enforcements and
education,
ü
Build up unity in the northern province fisher
communities and bring them to upper levels through forming groups, samasams
based on districts.
6.1.5 Financial facilities
ü
Collect some money from the fishers themselves,
as they should learn that there is a group to work on fishers issues,
ü
Begin with the donations from the Samasams,
ü
Membership fees from the members,
ü
Donations from the well wishers,
ü
Funds or materials received from any Funding
agencies,
6.1.6 Advisory Board
Advisory Board of the Alliance
should be consist of following sectors;.
·
Religious groups,
·
Scholars,
·
Organizations,
·
NAFSO
·
Professionals- Lawyers, Experts in the field,
well wishers to the alliance,
On special remarks by Sooriyakumar
said that the NAFSO should be remembered as the founders of the alliance. They
also could propose their suggestions in the general body. They should be
Founders and at the same time supporting to the alliance as resource generators
to the alliance.
Composition of Advisory Board is
as follows;
There should be 2 members from each
district. [2x4=8], Chairman ANPFP and two members from NAFSO
6.1.7 Action Committee
There should be an action committee
to be appointed to the alliance. duration of the action committee will be three
years.
ü
the roles
and responsibilities of the AC will be defined by the drafting committee and
will adopt at the AGM.
ü
the
election of AC will be done at the district federation or Samasam,
ü
Office bearers will be elected representing from
various districts. The responsibilities should be divided among all the
districts. The leadership sharing will be decided at the Action Committee,
6.1.7.1 Election of the
representatives of the action committee will be done as following;
·
Jaffna 3
·
Mannar 2
·
Kilinochchi 2
·
Mullaitivu 2
The gaps of the constitution will be filled by the drafting
committee. The drafted constitution will be circulated before the General Body
Meeting. For that, the drafted constitution will be sent to NAFSO and will be
printed and send to each district organization, samasam and alliance office.
7. The group agreed that all the
policy decisions should be made at the general body meeting which will be take
place every three years time. The
difficulties are well known to all these three districts because we meet
together. But not about the Mulaitivu. So, we will bring them to the alliance
before the AGM.
ü Fisher
people are facing serious difficulties at the sea and the land. So, we cannot
live like this any longer and should work for change. We need to take a
decision to overcome these difficulties and to implement them. Unless we
implement these decisions, we will not overcome them.
ü We will
meet at Vavunia, Colombo, Negombo and anywhere and to strengthen the alliance.
If we want to strengthen the alliance we need to act and find solutions for
people's issues. We need to take all these decisions to the village level.
Educate the fishermen on these issues and the way we want to move forward
should be known to the members. So, it is important that we get them involve.
We need to pressurize the Colombo authorities and they should listen our voice.
8. The General Body Meeting of the alliance
The general body meeting will be held at Mannar on 23rd
August, 2012. The Mannar fisheries federation will organize the meeting at
Mannar with the consultation of the organizing team.
9. Advisory Board Meetings
There will be two meetings held before the General Body
meeting.
Ø
Mannar meeting will be held on 14 July 2012,
Ø
Jaffna meeting will be held on 17th July 2012
10. At the end of the main session, Mr. Aruna Roshantha, the
chairperson of All Ceylon Small Scale Fisher People's Trade Union addressed the
Alliance leaders.
Mr. Aruna emphasis to have a strong fisher people's
organization. Because of lacking of such a strong body, fisher people could not
address the issues of fuel crisis, Indian trawler issues or any of the
difficulties we face. So, the unity among fisher people is very important in
whatever the form. We are here as we want this unity, we want to continue this
in the future as we emphasized this at the formation of the Alliance last year.
We will keep close touch with our fisher brothers in the northern districts.
Count us as your brothers and sisters of this struggle. Your struggle is ours
and vice versa.
11. Fr. Sherad Jayawardene, the Patron of the All Ceylon
Small Scale Fisher People's Trade Union address the group
Fr. Sherad also extended the love and care of the southern
groups in which we want to build strong solidarity among the fisher communities
in the north. Now there is a southern group is forming to work closely with the
northern fisheries groups. The work has been planned to identify possible work
parallel to the alliance work.
12. Herman Kumara, shared the outcome of the southern group
work.
A concern group of southern organizations met at Negombo on
16th based on the issues related to northern fisher people. This group decided
to meet again on 3rd July with wider team who are concern on northern fisheries
issues. The main aim is to take a stand with the northern fisher people, when
they plan for their future. So, a team was identified as concern group and will
meet with more details on 3rd July.
At the same time the Reincorpfish group met at Cape Town
south Africa. The team decided to support the alliance directly to sustain
their activities. So, there will be some donation from the Reincorpfish group
for alliance activities. There should be a bank account to transfer the funds.
This will be used for the alliance activities such as organize the policy
dialogue in November and other basic running expenses of the alliance.
Prof. Maarten Baavinc had sent a message saying that ZOA will contribute to convene the policy dialogue in November. Also will support to provide furniture or basic equipments for the alliance office.
