Sun Feb 09 12:57:30 UTC 2025: ## Kerala Fishermen to Stage Hartal Against Deep Sea Mining
**KOCHI, February 9, 2025** – Kerala’s fishing community is gearing up for a major protest against the Union government’s proposal to allow deep-sea mining off the state’s coast. The Kerala Fisheries Coordination Committee, representing fishers and other stakeholders, announced a day-long hartal on February 27th to oppose the plan.
The committee, citing concerns that the mining will damage the marine ecosystem and the livelihoods of fishermen, will hold several events leading up to the hartal. These include meetings on February 14th, a publicity rally on February 20th inaugurated by Munambam Santhosh, and a state-level convention in Kollam on February 17th. A parliamentary march is also planned for March 10th.
Committee convener P.P. Chithrajan emphasized the united front against the mining proposal, which reportedly follows the Geological Survey of India’s discovery of significant sand deposits. Charles George, another convener, accused the government of attempting to privatize a common resource by granting licenses to private companies. This echoes past resistance by the fishing community, which successfully opposed a previous proposal to license large fishing vessels following recommendations from the B. Meenakumari Committee.
Spontaneous protests have already begun, with the Kerala State Matsya Thozhilali Federation staging a demonstration last week. The fishing community’s strong opposition underscores the significant concerns surrounding the environmental and economic impact of deep-sea mining in the region.
First Piper 