Fish landing centers and markets were shut down, and thousands of fisherfolk took to the streets on Thursday as part of a 24-hour “coastal hartal” across Kerala. The strike was in protest against the Union government’s decision to auction five blocks off the state’s coast for offshore sand and mineral mining.
The protest was organized by the Fisheries Coordination Committee (FCC), which includes trade unions aligned with Left parties and Congress. The strike began at midnight on Thursday, with fishing vessels anchored along the coast, fish sales and processing units halted, and fisherfolk holding protest meetings throughout the day across the state.
Fishing organizations argue that offshore mining near the Kerala coast would severely damage the marine ecosystem, particularly fish populations, thus threatening the livelihoods of local fish workers. The Union government has auctioned five blocks in Kerala—Kollam South, Kollam North, Alappuzha, Ponnani, and Chavakkad. Fishermen have raised concerns about the Quilon Bank off the Kollam coast, an important and highly productive fishing area home to species like sardines and mackerel. They say mining in the area would disrupt their work and potentially close it off entirely.
“This is a matter of survival for us. If we lose this, the fishing community will cease to exist. We will oppose the mining process at any cost,” said Peter Mathias, an FCC member, speaking to reporters.
As part of the ongoing protests, fishing communities and allied unions are planning a march to Parliament on March 12.
The Union government’s plan for offshore mining in Kerala follows findings from the Geological Survey of India (GSI), which estimates that about 302 million tonnes of construction-grade sand could be extracted from the blocks. The mining depth ranges from 48.4 meters to 62.4 meters. Similar blocks have also been auctioned off in Gujarat and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Critics of the plan argue that no environmental studies have been conducted to assess the potential impact on marine resources and the coast. “There has been no effort to explain to coastal residents why this is a good idea. It seems like a mysterious plan,” said AR Kannan, a member of the Congress-aligned fishing union.
Kerala’s industries minister, P Rajeev, reiterated on Thursday that the state government has opposed the move on multiple occasions: first at a roadshow in Kochi on January 11, then at the 64th Central Geological Programming Board meeting in Bhubaneswar on January 19, and through a letter sent by the state’s principal secretary on February 13.
Rajeev also pointed out that Congress MPs did not raise objections when amendments to the Offshore Areas Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act were proposed in 2022 in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
In a separate development, 25 Indian fishermen arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy on February 23 for allegedly crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) returned home to Tamil Nadu on Thursday. A total of 32 fishermen were detained, and their boats were seized.
