Premachandran calls for Right to Sea Act to protect coastal livelihoods

Calling for a comprehensive Right to Sea Act on the lines of the Forest Rights Act, N.K. Premachandran, MP, said such legislation was urgently needed as coastal communities faced unprecedented threats to their lives and livelihoods.He was speaking at the inaugural session of a workshop on ‘Blue Economy and Coastal Risk in Kerala: Distress Signals from the Marine Fisheries Sector’, organised by the Inter University Centre for Social Science Research and Extension (IUCSSRE) on Saturday to highlight the growing challenges confronting coastal communities.Blue economyMr. Premachandran urged the State government to remain vigilant about the blue economy initiatives being pursued under Mission Samudra. Traditional fishing communities in Keralam were already grappling with a severe crisis driven by climate change and growing corporate interest in marine resources, he said. He also cautioned against the Centre’s deep-sea mining projects, warning that they could cause irreversible damage to marine biodiversity and destroy local livelihood opportunities.Addressing the workshop, Eugine H. Pereira, Vicar General of the Latin Archdiocese of Trivandrum, warned that the blue economy agenda concealed a larger plan to exploit ocean resources at the expense of local communities. He said the Vizhinjam port project had already become a major liability for the local population.A.J. Vijayan, K.V. Thomas and Charles George were among those who spoke. The thematic sessions were chaired by Rajesh Komath, member of the MG University Syndicate, and Joseph Antony. Director K.M. Seethi delivered the welcome address. Published - November 09, 2026 06:55 pm IST