Fishers from six Andhra districts seek Forest Rights Act-style law to protect fishing grounds

Participants at the consultation of traditional fishers from six coastal districts at the Fishery Survey of India hall in Visakhapatnam on Thursday. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Traditional fishers from six coastal Andhra districts have asked for a law on the lines of the Forest Rights Act to protect their fishing grounds and access routes from displacement by coastal projects. The demand came at a consultation in Visakhapatnam on Thursday (October 8, 2026) attended by 72 delegates from Konaseema, Kakinada, Anakapalli, Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam districts.The meeting, held at the Fishery Survey of India hall, was organised by the Bay of Bengal Programme Inter-Governmental Organisation (BOBP-IGO), the District Fishermen Youth Welfare Association (DFYWA) and FISHCON. DFYWA executive secretary Arjilli Dasu chaired the sessions. BOBP-IGO representative Ahana Lakshmi and FISHCON president Surada Rajarao took part.Fishers described how changing weather, storm surges and coastal erosion were shrinking fishing seasons and depleting stocks. They sought district-wise ecological mapping so that ecosystem buffers, safe evacuation routes and storm-proof storage could be built into the State’s disaster plans.Early warnings at seaDelegates asked for last-mile early warning systems that deliver multi-day forecasts and wind alerts directly to traditional craft. They recommended linking the alerts with INCOIS ocean forecasts, using NavIC and IoT technologies, and holding community mock drills and running sea ambulances.Tenure rightsSpeakers said ambiguous customary rights left fishers vulnerable to displacement by industry. Delegates urged governments to enact model legislation, on the lines of the Forest Rights Act, to legally safeguard fishing grounds and access corridors**, with** mandatory prior consultation before coastal projects were cleared.They pointed to jurisdictional overlaps between Central and State authorities within territorial waters, and recommended amending State Marine Fisheries Regulation Acts and Coastal Regulation Zone rules to recognise customary tenure systems and coastal commons.Participants also sought support for marginalised fishers, particularly women in the value chain: legal awareness programmes, free legal aid clinics in major fishing clusters, non-parametric insurance, structured compensation for mandatory conservation closed seasons and more staff and training for the Fisheries Department. Published - October 08, 2026 05:25 pm IST