workers and crews of fishing vessels switching professional directions.
Slowly many are giving up traditional occupation and taking to interstate migration in search of bread and butter, according field level studies by a confederation of NGOs.
The UNDP officials who visited migration-hit villages in February were also of view that enforced restrictive measures had hit the fisheries sector badly. The UNDP team is presently mulling over alternate livelihood stakes for the affected fishermen communities.
The fishermen communities in about 27 villages are beginning to scour for options for bread and butter.
Even as the government agencies, stubborn in their stand to conserve the turtles, refuse to budge an inch from partial relaxation of fishing prohibition, there are reports of large-scale inter-State migration of fish workers for subsistence.
With fisheries-regulated economy being in the doldrums following strict enforcement of Orissa Marine Fishing Regulation Act (OMFRA) provisions, over 700 able-bodied persons who are either fishermen or boat makers or crews have left the fisheries sector for good.
The avocation-searching migrants also included a dozen of net weavers from Kharinasi, Ramnagar and Jamboo coastal villages, according to local panchayatiraj institution representatives.
The fishermen in fisheries-regulated villages such as Kharinasi, Ramnagar, Hariabanka, Badatubi, Barakolikhola, Batighar have bidden goodbye to their home and hearth, informed Narayan Haldar, a prominent leader of fishermen community and also the Sarpanch of Kharinasi gram panchayat.
“Voters of Kharinasi elected me as I took up the plight of poor fishermen community. It gives me immense pain to state that we are losing the battle. People are leaving their places of birth to get rid of poverty and misery.
The government agencies are seemingly intent to save the Olive Ridley turtles because for them animals are more precious than human lives. It's disgusting to state that the promise for subsistence allowance to poor fish workers is lying in cold store with dragging of feet by glib-talking politicians and bureaucrats,” Haldar noted.
“Every week, fishermen in groups knock at my doors and ask me certify as an inhabitant of local area. They virtually plead before me to do the favour in my capacity as Sarpanch. The piece of paper signed by the Sarpanch eases the initial hurdles while seeking employment in country's major urban hubs. Since my election to Sarpanch post, I have obliged 72 persons who are now trying out their luck elsewhere. All of them are from traditional marine fishermen community,” Haldar observed.
The government is insensitive to human misery in these parts of the state. The fishing prohibition-induced loss of livelihood stakes has never been taken seriously.
A proposal to award subsistence allowance (Rs 2,700 to Rs 1,350 a month during lean fisheries season) is lying unattended since past two years.
The task force constituted last year to moot over the fishermen welfare proposals is yet to take off. Greenpeace, international body espousing environmental issues, had chalked out a comprehensive Rs 9.18 crore compensation package for traditional fishermen affected by fishing restriction due to turtle conservation. But the state government continues to dilly dally on the package in the name lack of Central grant support.
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