[OANNES Foro] ICSF DC Weekly News Alert from 10 March 2014 to 14 March 2014

[ICSF Documentation Centre]

*International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF) Trust*

*Documentation Centre*

*Weekly News Alert*

*10 March 2014 to 14 March 2014*


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Dear Subscriber,

Please find attached ICSF DC Weekly News Alert from 10 March 2014 to 14
March 2014.

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*India: CSO Statement to the 32nd FAO Asia Pacific Regional Conference*
From: "Sarojeni" <sarojeni.rengam en panap.net>

10-15 March 2014-03-13
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Honourable Chair, Distinguished Delegates, Excellencies, Ladies and
Gentlemen,

I am P.P Sivapragasam, a member of the Coalition of Agricultural Workers
International (CAWI) and representing the Civil Society Organizations.
First of all, I would like to table here our deepest sadness that one of
our CSO colleague and an international activist Ms Chandrika Sharma from
India was on Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 that is still missing until
today. She was to attend this conference. The whole CSO community offers
our prayers for her safety.
[image: Inline images 1]

We, 38 representatives of small farmers, landless, rural women, fishers,
agricultural workers, forest dwellers, pastoralists and herders, indigenous
peoples, urban poor, consumers, youth and NGOs coming from ten (10)
countries met from March 8 to 9, 2014 in conjunction to the 32nd FAO Asia
Pacific Regional Conference in Mongolia. We are confronted with
intensifying economic, social and environmental crises in this region.
Neoliberal policies of trade liberalisation, privatisation and deregulation
facilitated by international trade and financial institutions have
benefited transnational corporations and the elites of our countries. It
has reduced the capacities of countries and peoples to ensure
self-sufficient food production and right to food for everyone. It has
worsened hunger, poverty, malnutrition, and contributed to the
displacement, landlessness, loss of livelihood and income, and curtailment
of rights of small food producers [1] and consumers.

Small farmers are victims of landlessness, displacement due to land
grabbing, expansion of larger plantations and so-called development
projects such as mining and dams, crop and land use conversion, high cost
of inputs, and non-implementation of genuine land reform. As agricultural
workers, we are faced with low wages, job insecurity including
contractualisation, flexibilisation, and poor and hazardous working
condition and lack of social security and benefits. As indigenous peoples,
our rights to own, control and manage ancestral territories critical to our
livelihood and survival are still not been recognised. There is also lack
of respect and recognition of customary practices, laws, roles and
contribution in sustainable agriculture and biodiversity managements
systems. Many fishers and fish workers including women are being
marginalised due to the expanding corporate and commercial fisheries and
intensified aquaculture. Their tenure rights to land and access to
fisheries resources in the coastal and waterfront area have been ignored.
The health of aquatic ecosystems and biodiversity is not protected and
there is also a lack of support for processing and marketing for fishers...

The rights of pastoralists are not recognised, exacerbated by the lack of
political, economic, and socio-cultural mechanisms and processes to protect
those rights. Pasture and common land is being taken away from them in the
name of so-called 'development'. Because of depressed wages and
unemployment, the urban poor suffer from lack of accessible, safe,
nutritious and affordable food, without access to basic social services,
apart from squalid conditions in slums and informal settlements that affect
their health and wellbeing.

Due to lack of jobs and livelihood and displacement from their lands, a
significant number of rural and urban population, most especially the
youth, are forced to migrate in cities and abroad contributing to the
decline on the youth involvement in agricultural production. Rural women,
particularly, remain invisible, undervalued and unrecognised despite their
being seed savers, land tillers, community leaders and family managers. In
addition, gender inequalities continue to exist in terms of access and
control over resources, training, agricultural inputs, among others. We
recognise FAO's efforts in promoting family farms in the midst of hunger,
the need for sustainable production and recognition of rights of women.
Violence against women and their discrimination in families and communities
has to end. Family farming should not be seen as promoting landlordism, but
should be done to serve the community and undertaken in a collective manner.

Our Recommendations:

Food sovereignty is the key to food security and eradication of hunger and
poverty. It recognises and upholds the rights of peoples to decide their
own food and agricultural policies and the right to develop ecologically,
socially, economically and culturally appropriate food systems.

We, the CSO community, calls our Governments to:

1. Implement genuine agrarian, aquatic, forestry and pastureland reform
that incorporates the right to resources including water, seeds, and the
protection of ancestral domains and territories for the small food
producers. We also call for women's equal rights to resources.

2. Enact and implement laws and regulations that incorporate the principle
of Free Prior Informed Consent (FPIC) and its monitoring system.

3. Promote and support agro-ecological, integrated, diversified farming,
fisheries and livestock that protect traditional rights of peoples, local
and indigenous knowledge and wisdom, rights to genetic resources,
ecosystem-based resource management; and the conservation of local
climate-tolerant varieties. These would also provide the basis of
communities' resilience on climate change.

4. Provide adequate public financing and financial services; facilitiate
farmer-led agricultural research and provide extension services,
appropriate technologies, trainings; develop local markets, infrastructure
and create jobs -- all targeted to benefit small food producers,
particularly rural women, urban poor and youth.

5. Stop the promotion of corporate technologies such as genetically
engineered seeds, highly hazardous pesticides, and agrofuel plantations
that feed corporate profits. These devastate the livelihoods of small food
producers, increase the risks to human health and environment and undermine
peoples' right to safe and nutritious food.

6. Enact laws and mechanisms that provide affordable and stable prices for
staple and basic food products for the poor.

7. H elp build capacities of small food producers to organise themselves
into farmer's organisations or cooperatives to have economies of scale and
better bargaining power.

We call FAO to:

1 Ensure meaningful participation of social movements and CSOs in the
formulation, implementation and monitoring of policies and guidelines such
as the VG on land tenure system and small-scale fisheries. Strengthen the
engagement of CSOs with national FAO offices in national policy
formulation, strategic programmes and monitor its progress.

2 Continue dialogue on the concept of family farming considering different
context and situation of small food producers; establish national
committees that are farmer-led; and to take action to initiate policies and
programmes that serve the small food producers and their communities.

3 Ensure that the RAI principles include the central role of small food
producers in food production and as primary investors in agriculture. The
RAI principles should protect the rights of small food producers' against
massive land and resource grabbing. It should be based on human rights, on
the FPIC principles, peoples' right to development, and labour and migrants
rights.

4 In the rice key strategic options, we call for the halt of dependence on
external inputs such as genetically engineered crops, hybrid rice and
biofortification and instead focus on farmer-led appropriate technologies
to address safe, nutritious and balanced diet.

5 Recognise that forest dwellers are food producers and protectors of the
forest and natural resources and support their initiatives on climate
change mitigation. Projects for forest restoration and reforestation should
be done in respect of forest dwellers and their future generations.

6 Ensure participation of small-scale fishers in monitoring and evaluating
the impact of intensified aquaculture and ensure that the program does not
reduce the availability of resources to small fishing communities.

Our Commitment:

We, the civil society participants, are committed to working together with
FAO, our governments and other international institutions that are
accountable in meeting the needs of small food producers and their
aspirations for food sovereignty. We affirm our right to self organise and
autonomy.

We appreciate this opportunity given to CSO's to make our voices heard,
make critical positions and recommendations on food security and
agricultural development.

However, concerns remain about our meaningful participation. Meaningful
participation must mean that our recommendations are considered and
included in the APRC reports.

We will resist any positions, policies and programmes that undermine the
rights of small food producers. We will strengthen our movements of small
food producers to advance food sovereignty and gender justice.

Thank you Chair for giving us this opportunity.

Civil Society Organisations:
Adra Mongolia
All Nepal Women's Association (ANWA)
Asia Indigenous People's Pact (AIPP)
Asian Farmers' Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA)
Asian Partnership for the Development of Human Resources in Rural Asia (
AsiaDHRRA)
Asian Peasant Coalition (APC)
Asian Rural Women's Coalition (ARWC)
Association of Agricultural Cooperative in Dornogobi province (NAMAC)
Association of Agricultural Cooperatives of Darkhan-Uul province
Association of Agricultural Cooperatives of Orkhon province
"Buyan-Undral" Agricultural Cooperative of Darvi soum, Gobi-Altai province
Central Union of Consumer Cooperatives
Coalition of Agricultural Workers International (CAWI)
Consumers Korea (CK)
Environment and Development Association "JASIL"
Global Communities
International Collective in Support of Fish Workers
KADAMAY
La Via Campesina
\MARAG
Mongolian Crop Farmers Association
Mongolian National Association of Sea buckthorn Producers and Growers
Mongolian National Cooperative Alliance
National Association of Mongolian Agricultural Cooperatives (NAMAC)
National Fisheries Solidarity
People's Coalition on Food Sovereignty (PCFS)
Pesticide Action Network Asia and the Pacific (PAN AP)
Rural Investment Support Center
Sustainable Development Foundation (SDF)

[1] Small food producers include small farmers, landless, rural women,
fishers, agricultural workers, forest dwellers, indigenous peoples,
pastoralists and herders.

*India: India to join jet search*
http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=Snippets&NewsID=408508

Coastguards from India's remote Andaman and Nicobar Islands joined the
airborne search on Wednesday for a missing Malaysian airliner, a senior
official told Reuters. A Dornier aircraft belonging to the coastguard set
off at 2.30 p.m. local time to search the eastern side of the Andaman
islands, on orders from New Delhi, said VSR Murthy, the inspector general
of the coastguard service on the islands...

*India: No information shared on missing Malaysian plane: Passenger's
relative*
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/no-information-shared-on-missing-malaysian-plane-passengers-relative/457425-62-128.html

Even after five days of massive search operation for missing Malaysian
Airlines flight MH 370, no headway has been made so far. India has on
Wednesday joined in the search efforts and the area of the operations has
been expanded with a focus on the South China Sea and the Malacca Strait.
There were five Indians also on the flight. Relative of one of the
passengers Chandrika Sharma said all the information was not shared with
them...

*Video links of Interview given by K. S. Narendran and Meghna on 12 March
2014 on lack of information about missing persons on board Malaysian
airlines including Chandrika Sharma*















*Maharashtra: Maharashtra Machhimar Kruti Samiti's prayer for Chandrika's
family Source: SMS message from Rambhau Patil The state convention of
Maharashtra Machhimar Kruti Samiti held on 12 March 2014 at Phalgar. About
250 fishers were present who prayed for return of our beloved leader Mrs.
Chandrika Sharma Malaysia Airlines: Chandrika Sharma's family says India's
efforts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtdSKJs-GjY
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtdSKJs-GjY> No information shared on
missing Malaysian plane: Passenger's
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI_UnRnPizQ
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI_UnRnPizQ> Missing Malaysian Airlines -
Family members of the chennai victim suspects Malaysia angry on India
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iGOy4FXr3k&feature=youtube_gdata&autoplay=1
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iGOy4FXr3k&feature=youtube_gdata&autoplay=1>
Missing Malaysian Airlines - Family members of the chennai victim suspects
Malaysia angry on India http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-26544710
<http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-26544710> Missing Malaysian Airlines -
Family members of the chennai victim suspects Malaysia angry on India
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iGOy4FXr3k
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iGOy4FXr3k>*


*Uttar Pradesh: Wild ghariyals threatened by illegal sand mining*
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/Wild-ghariyals-threatened-by-illegal-sand-mining/articleshow/31751944.cms

Illegal sand mining is posing the biggest threat to the last of the wild
and breeding ghariyals left. Found in maximum strength in National Chambal
Sanctuary running across three states- UP, MP and Rajasthan, ghariyals are
losing out to human interference...

* West Bengal: Pirates attack fishermen in Sunderbans*
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/Pirates-attack-fishermen-in-Sunderbans/articleshow/31814790.cms

A group of pirates from Bangladesh attacked seven fishermen in the Indian
Sunderbans on Saturday, stole all their belongings and fled. The fishermen,
who went to the sea ten days back, are all residents of Raidighi's
Nagendrapur. They are now being brought back by the police...

* Odisha: Dhamra Port observes national safety week*
http://orissadiary.com/CurrentNews.asp?id=48479

On the occasion of 43rd National Safety Week observance Dhamra Port on
Monday organized a safety workshop for fishing trawler crew and ice factory
workers of its periphery areas. Nearly 70 fishing trawler crew, trawler
owners and ice factory workers attended the workshop.  CEO of DPCL Mr.
Santosh Kumar Mohapatra inaugurated the workshop and addressed the
participants...

*Andhra Pradesh: Vision document prepared for coastal districts*
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-andhrapradesh/vision-document-prepared-for-coastal-districts/article5775849.ece

Some districts should be declared duty-free zone : CII chief. There was a
need to develop more urban centres in residual Andhra Pradesh with an
investment friendly atmosphere and lean bureaucracy, said the Confederation
of Indian Industries (CII) new chairman Commander V.V.M. Krishna. Talking
to The Hindu Cmdr...

*Tamil Nadu: Next round of fishermen talks in doubt*
http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil_nadu/Next-Round-of-Fishermen-Talks-in-Doubt/2014/03/12/article2104015.ece#.Ux_4wYW4NKE

The Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday categorically conveyed to the Central
government that the next round of fishermen level talks between
representatives of fishermen of Tamil Nadu and Lanka would take place on
March 13 only if the 177 fishermen and their 44 boats now in Lankan custody
are released...

*Kerala: Fuel-efficient propellers for fishing vessels*
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/fuelefficient-propellers-for-fishing-vessels/article5767021.ece

The Kochi-based Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT) and the
National Agricultural Innovation Project have jointly developed "the first
scientifically designed propellers" for fishing vessels. These propellers
can substantially reduce fuel consumption in the fishing sector. The
fishing industry is estimated to use up 200 crore litres of diesel a year...

* Karnataka: College of Fisheries may be converted into national institute*
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mangalore/College-of-Fisheries-may-be-converted-into-national-institute/articleshow/31684041.cms

Indian Centre for Agricultural Research (ICAR) may consider converting
College of Fisheries, Mangalore, the four-decade-old college, into a
national institute. ICAR director general S Ayyappan said that the demand
to convert the College of Fisheries, the first fisheries college in the
nation, into a national institute will be considered...

* Goa: Why is the fish disappearing from Goa's plate? by Mayabhushan
Nagvenkar Mar 12, 2014*
http://www.firstpost.com/india/why-is-the-fish-disappearing-from-goas-plate-1431139.html?utm_source=hp-footer

India's beach and boho tourism mecca, Goa, may well have to drop one key
four-letter USP. Fish. Pollution, global warming, overkill both for export
and to feed the burgeoning tourism industry is threatening to trigger a
fish famine off the Western Indian state's coast and rivers...

*Maharashtra: Bombay HC asks Maharashtra to have permanent mechanism to
monitor wetlands *
http://zeenews.india.com/news/eco-news/bombay-hc-asks-maha-to-have-permanent-mechanism-to-monitor-wetlands_917346.html

The Bombay High Court today suggested that the Maharashtra Government
should constitute a permanent mechanism to monitor wetlands in the state so
that encroachments do not take place in such areas.  The suggestion was
made by a bench headed by Justice V M Kanade on a PIL filed by Vanashakti,
an NGO, which alleged destruction of wetlands in suburban Malwani, Dahisar,
Vasai, Esselworld, Oshiwara, Kanakia Nagar in Mira Road, Kasheli in Thane
and Palm Beach Road area in Navi Mumbai...

*India: Aquaponics providing double guarantee for a farmer -- income through
fish and vegetables*
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/31911769.cms

When Vijayakumar Narayanan returned to his native Nanniyode village in
Palakkad district in Kerala two years ago after spending 20 years in
various jobs in India and the Gulf, he wasn't too sure about what to do.
That's when a big tree in his backyard toppled over, leaving a large hole
in the ground. He wondered how the pit could be put to use, searching the
Internet and reading up material for months...


*India: NFF press release, A Humble request to our beloved Political
Leaders *Source: M. Ilango, Chairperson, NFF.

Allegations have been made upon both Indian and Sri Lan.kan fishermen that
they are intruding in other country's sea water while fishing and
subsequently they are arrested by the Governments and their fishing vessels
have been seized and impounded. To solve this issue, arrangements have been
made by both Indian and Sri Lankan governments for bi-Lateral talks between
fishermen delegated of both countries which held on 27-01-2014 at Chennai,
capital city of Tamil Nadu state. Temporary & interim settlement had been
reached in this talk. In continuation of the first round of talks, there
was a proposal to convene the second round of talks on 13-03-2014, but in
the mean time several fishermen were arrested due to intruding in other
country's sea water and presently the second round of talks may be convened
only after the releasing of all the fishermen at captive and their vessels.

Considering the way of interaction that were followed by leaders of
fishermen communities of both the countries give hope to us to construe
that a permanent settlement would be reached in the second round of talks.
In this contexture, we afraid that the views and opinions of political
leaders may hinder and harm the smooth proceedings to be reach settlements.
In order to pay more attention towards the long pending demands of
fishermen, in the past months we had requested political leaders to include
those demands in the election manifesto of their parties. At the same time
as the issues of fishermen have connection between two countries, we humbly
request our beloved political leaders of both regional and national parties
not to put or deliver any sort of opinions, suggestions, and debates in
their dais prior to the ensuing election for Lok Sabha. We earnestly expect
your kind and valuable cooperation in this regard.

M. Ilango,
Chairperson,
NFF

* Myanmar: Bangladesh allows shrimp import from Myanmar *
http://www.dhakatribune.com/commerce/2014/mar/14/bangladesh-allows-shrimp-import-myanmar

It is a self-distractive decision by the government'. Bangladesh has
allowed shrimp import from Myanmar to process here and then re-export to
other countries. The import has been allowed only through Teknaf Customs
Station, according to a circular Controller of Imports and Exports issued
on March 9...

*Bangladesh: 'Black poison' in Cox's Bazar sea waters*
http://www.dhakatribune.com/environment/2014/mar/10/black-poison-sea-waters

Officials have found alarming levels of toxin in the waters of Cox's Bazar.
The waters of Cox's Bazar are being subjected to toxic waste, that is
posing serious environmental hazards for tourism and marine biodiversity.
The Department of Environment has recently found alarming levels of
chemical toxins in the blue waters of Bankkhali river and the coastal areas
in their study...

* Bangladesh: Hilsa management high on agenda at JWG meeting*
http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2014/03/12/23122

Bangladesh and India will discuss some specific issues over the management
of hilsa and other transboundary species at the first meeting of the Joint
Working Group (JWG) on fisheries cooperation. The meeting is set to begin
in Dhaka today (Wednesday)...

* Pakistan: Fish exporters not too keen*
http://www.dawn.com/news/1091865/fish-exporters-not-too-keen

Stakeholders have ruled out a big jump in fish export earnings under the
GSP+ scheme due to the low number of exporters and a small difference in
the prices of EU and those of the other countries. EU had allowed only two
fish exporting units last year from Pakistan. "We only expect substantial
exports in case the number of exporters rises to seven from the current
two," Pakistan Fisheries Exporters Association (PFEA) Chairman Faisal
Iftikhar said...

*Sri Lanka: Sri-Lankan fishermen to move Rights Council *
http://www.newindianexpress.com/world/Sri-Lankan-Fishermen-to-Move-Rights-Council/2014/03/10/article2100515.ece#.UyFNf85QrU0

Leaders of North Sri Lankan fishermen are likely to approach the Human
Rights Council of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) and the courts in a stepped-up effort
to stop Indian fishermen from poaching in Lankan waters. This was the
outcome of a meeting of fishermen's organisations held here on March 7,
said NM Alam of the Mannar-based Union of Fishermen's Co-operatives...






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