Fishermen to form human chain along coastal belt

KOCHI: Demanding safety for life and employment, fishermen across the state will form a human chain on April 28 along the coastal belt of the state.    The agitation is being organised by the organisations in the fisheries sector, voluntary organisations, NGOs and boat owners. The Latin Catholic Church has also offered its support for the agitation.  The demands of the fishing community include safety for life and employment, Centere’s intervention for curbing navigation of merchant vessels in the territorial waters of India and strict surveillance of the Navy and Coast Guard along Kerala coast.“The fishing community is scared after the two recent accidents at sea in which seven hapless fishermen lost lives. In both incidents fishermen were not responsible for the mishap,” said All Kerala Boat Operators’ Assn general secretary Joseph Xavier Kalappurakkal.  “Whenever there is an accident in which fishermen are injured or killed,  they do not get any relief from the govt. In the recent incidents too, we fear that the victims and their kin will be ignored by the ship owners and the government by the time the legal battle is over,” Joseph said.He said that the govt should take the initiative to put pressure on the Italian govt or the shipping company to provide compensation for the fishermen shot dead by the marines on board Italian merchant  vessel Enrica Lexie in  February.