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LIFE ON COASTS

EXCLUSIVE ECONOMIC ZONE
RIGHT TO EXPLOIT OR PROTECT?

In 1982, the United Nations set up a worldwide ocean regime and came up with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. This convention gives maritime nations countries with coastlines—right to control ocean areas covering 200 nautical miles (300 km) from the shores. A nation which signs up and becomes partner to this treaty, enacts laws to assume charge of this part of the sea. For example, India signed the treaty in November, 1994, and has gained control over 2.02 million sq km of sea area—equal to almost two thirds of its total land!!

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Breeding shrimps:a ‘pricey ’ meal

The area is now marked as India’s ‘Exclusive Economic Zone’. It has the right to ‘explore and exploit’ the biological resources within that region.

The mammoth monsters of Mumbai

Sounds rather scary, doesn’t it? As if the oceans are being put up in the market! But wait…the UN Convention also holds the countries responsible for ‘protecting’ the marine environment. And India has taken pretty progressive steps to shoulder this responsibility.

Actually, it began years before it signed the UN treaty. With the Indian Fisheries Act in 1897—which took care of issues like coastal pollution, erosion, ports and harbours.

Then in February, 1991, the Ministry of Environment and Forests came up with the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification, specifically designed to make sure that the fragile and precious ocean ecosystem is not ravaged by commercial activities.

WHAT IS THE
COASTAL REGULATION ZONE?

The CRZ includes coastal stretches of seas, bays, estuaries, creeks, rivers and backwaters which are influenced by the ocean tides. And the notification says that there can be no commercial or construction activity up to 500 meters from the water at the maximum high tide along the coast. Pretty compre-hensive, you would say…right?

Wrong! Not because the notifica-tion is inadequate but because it has been amended again, again, and yet again by the Ministry…at least 17 times till 2004… to suit the requirement of various commercial users.

Sample this:

January 1997 – Permitted sand mining and ground water with-drawal in CRZ of Andaman and Nicobar (A & N)

July 1997 – Permitted reclamation within port limits, construction for expansion and modernisation of ports.

June 2003 – Relaxed no-develop-ment zone from 200 metres to 50 metres in A & N and Lakshadweep to promote tourism.

So as you must have realised already, the inevitable has hap-pened. Inspite of the CRZ regula-tions, commercial and industrial activities in the coastal areas have been unregulated…if not com-pletely, to a very, very large extent indeed!

Who felt the impact of this most?
The coastal flora and fauna, of course, and the communities who have lived by the sea for gene-rations. (see box: Men women, children and the sea) Mumbai

Men
Women
children
and
the sea

Fisheries

Shell industry

Construction indus stry

Fertiliser industry

Manufacturing
caulking and glue

Pearl industry

Seaweeds

Coconut industry

coconut

Just glance over the list of amendments once more. What do you see? They have been made to expand ports; or to promote tourism. None of these are traditional occupations of the local communities. Livelihoods that have fed and clothed millions of humans. For many many years.

In India, over five million people are employed in traditional fishing activities. They net around 2.5 million tonnes annually, and earn over one and a half million US dollars in exports. This comes not just from fishing in the deep seas, but also from those who fish within 50 metres from the coast and also from deltas and estuaries

Makes shell crafts, conches, shell orna-ments and artifacts. Shells along with gravel are used for building roads in some areas. Also, lime (a shell product) produce concrete and plaster. Corals and sea grass are used to make cement.

fish-nets Lime is an important nutrient for plants and is used to manufacture fertilisers. A ground shell mixture is used as glue and as a caulking (to seal cracks and fissures in boats by packing seams with waterproof material) compound for boats. Worldwide, pearls are worth a US$ 20 billion industry! Used to produce biomass fuel.

Makes a huge range of products..from coir ropes to coconut candy; also produces coffee cups, wind chimes, helmets, caps and coir from coconut shells and roots.

And many oth-ers like weaving fish-nets, picking crabs and making candles and chalks.

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