The central government’s move to put into operation the CZM instead of CRZ of 1991 has met with severe objection from well know figures in social, cultural and environmental sectors. The socio-cultural leaders from diverse sections of the society and environmental experts have requested all sections of the society to join hands with the fishing community to strengthen the ongoing struggle against the implementation of CZM. The sea, seashore and the forest are sustaining the life and breath of all and to protect the same from all sort of encroachment is  a duty as well as responsibility of the Government so that normal life of the people can be ensured. Instead of protecting the sea and sea shore, the government is very eager to open up the sea shores for the tourist resorts and the sea for the foreign fishing vessels; they criticized. Shri. V. Sivan Kutty, MLA, Smt. Sugatha Kumari(Poet),  Prof. Nynan Koshy (writer},  Dr. R V G Menon (KSSP), D.Vinayachandran(Poet) , Shri.Kadakampally Surendran (Ex MLA) and others pointed out strongly that the fisher people’s  strike is actually not only for themselves, but for all living beings in the coastal area. The strike is for all who have right to natural resources; the people should not forget this, they said.

A giant banner was displayed in front of the secretariat in Trivandrum and hundreds of fish workers and leaders from different sections of the society signed on it. The banner with the signatures will be sent to the president of India on Monday.

The event was conducted by the Kerala Campaign Committee against CZM. T.Peter, Saroop Roy, R.Biju, Anto Elias, J.P.John, Elizabeth Antony, Freeska Kurisappan, Maglin Peter spoke during the occasion.

People’s movements who expressed their solidarity with the event included Kerala Swathanthra Malsya Thozhilali Federation(KSMTF), Kerala Shastra Sahithya Parishath(KSSP), Equations, SUCI, Solidarity Youth Movement, Peoples Watch, Thiruvananthapuram Social Service Society(TSSS), Greens, WWF and Theeradesa Mahila Vedi.