Fishermen to stage protest against seaplane project in Kerala

Kochi | The Kerala Matsyathozhilali Aikya Vedi (TUCI), a collective body of various fishers' organisations, will stage a mass protest here on Tuesday against the implementation of the seaplane project, the association said.

Charles George, state president of the Vedi, told PTI on Monday that over 300 fishermen will line up in their boats at the Bolgatty Ro-Ro jetty as part of the protest, which will begin at 10 am.

According to George, the implementation of the seaplane project will affect the livelihood of local fishermen in Kochi as well as those in other areas identified for the project.

“In Kochi, fishing is already banned from the Shipyard to the estuary. The seaplane project is being implemented in the remaining area available for fishing, which will hit the livelihood of several fishermen families,” he said.

He added that similar issues are expected in Kumarakom, Kottayam, Punnamada in Alappuzha, and Ashtamudi in Kollam.

“The project is being discussed without addressing the concerns of fishermen, and the government has not held any discussions with us so far,” he said.

Charles also said the protest will highlight another major demand — action to curb illegal deep-sea fishing.

Recently, Kerala Tourism Minister P A Mohamed Riyas announced that the Centre had allocated 48 routes for seaplanes in the state.

The routes have been assigned to IndiaOne Air, Maritime Energy Heli Air Services Pvt Ltd (MEHAIR), Pawan Hans Limited (PHL), and SpiceJet airlines.