<p>Bengaluru: Fishermen from various organisations urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday to halt destructive infrastructure projects in Uttara Kannada district which has endangered their livelihood.</p><p>Under the banner of National Fishworkers Forum (Forum), an all-India union of traditional fishermen, the fishermen presented a detailed memorandum to Siddaramaiah highlighting the threats faced by the community.</p>.If kabaddi gets included in Olympics, India has great opportunity: Dakshina Kannada MP.<p>The first demand on the list was the immediate suspension of the port construction in Honnavar until a comprehensive review is conducted to by an independent, time-bound, multi-stakeholder committee involving fisher representatives, ecologists, legal experts and Karnataka Coastal Zone Management Authority (KSCZMA) authorities.</p><p>They also demanded the withdrawal of the government order demarcating the port limit. They opposed the government orders issued in 2013 and 2021 to demarcate port limits in Uttara Kannada district.</p><p>"With only 125 km of coastline in Uttara Kannada, the declaration of eight separate port limits has left no room for traditional marine fishing, village access, or coastal commons. These orders were passed without transparent consultation and must be withdrawn," he said.</p>.<p>They asked for the immediate cancellation of Keni port proposed by JSW. "Located just south of Karwar Naval Base, this port directly overlaps with vital fishing grounds and will bar fishermen from access. it is ecologically, socially and strategically unacceptable," the forum said.</p><p>The memorandum also expressed concern over Karwar Port Phase II expansion, stating that the work will threaten the complete erosion of Tagore Beach up to Kali River mouth. "The claims made by firms promoting port expansion across Uttara Kannada are exaggerated and misleading. WIth major ports in Goa and Mangalore operating at undre 50% capacity, eight new ports have no economic rationale," it said.</p>.<p>The forum cited the study by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) to note that the Uttara Kannada has already exceeded its carrying capacity when it comes to bearing largescale development projects. Noting that any further infrastructure development will lead to irreversible damage, they urged the chief minister to implement the recommendations made in the IISc study and prioritise climate resilience over short-term goals.</p><p>NFF Chairperson Ramakrishna Tandel told DH that the chief minister promised to take up the matter with the concerned departments. "We will wait for 15 days for the chief minister's action," he said, adding that the forum will decide on further course of action in case the promise is not kept.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: Fishermen from various organisations urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday to halt destructive infrastructure projects in Uttara Kannada district which has endangered their livelihood.</p><p>Under the banner of National Fishworkers Forum (Forum), an all-India union of traditional fishermen, the fishermen presented a detailed memorandum to Siddaramaiah highlighting the threats faced by the community.</p>.If kabaddi gets included in Olympics, India has great opportunity: Dakshina Kannada MP.<p>The first demand on the list was the immediate suspension of the port construction in Honnavar until a comprehensive review is conducted to by an independent, time-bound, multi-stakeholder committee involving fisher representatives, ecologists, legal experts and Karnataka Coastal Zone Management Authority (KSCZMA) authorities.</p><p>They also demanded the withdrawal of the government order demarcating the port limit. They opposed the government orders issued in 2013 and 2021 to demarcate port limits in Uttara Kannada district.</p><p>"With only 125 km of coastline in Uttara Kannada, the declaration of eight separate port limits has left no room for traditional marine fishing, village access, or coastal commons. These orders were passed without transparent consultation and must be withdrawn," he said.</p>.<p>They asked for the immediate cancellation of Keni port proposed by JSW. "Located just south of Karwar Naval Base, this port directly overlaps with vital fishing grounds and will bar fishermen from access. it is ecologically, socially and strategically unacceptable," the forum said.</p><p>The memorandum also expressed concern over Karwar Port Phase II expansion, stating that the work will threaten the complete erosion of Tagore Beach up to Kali River mouth. "The claims made by firms promoting port expansion across Uttara Kannada are exaggerated and misleading. WIth major ports in Goa and Mangalore operating at undre 50% capacity, eight new ports have no economic rationale," it said.</p>.<p>The forum cited the study by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) to note that the Uttara Kannada has already exceeded its carrying capacity when it comes to bearing largescale development projects. Noting that any further infrastructure development will lead to irreversible damage, they urged the chief minister to implement the recommendations made in the IISc study and prioritise climate resilience over short-term goals.</p><p>NFF Chairperson Ramakrishna Tandel told DH that the chief minister promised to take up the matter with the concerned departments. "We will wait for 15 days for the chief minister's action," he said, adding that the forum will decide on further course of action in case the promise is not kept.</p>