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

Approximately 72 delegates representing traditional fishers from six Andhra coastal districts gathered in Visakhapatnam on October 8, 2026, for a consultation organized by the Bay of Bengal Programme Inter-Governmental Organisation, the District Fishermen Youth Welfare Association, and FISHCON. The meeting took place at the Fishery Survey of India hall and aimed to discuss the need for a law modeled after the Forest Rights Act to protect fishing grounds and access routes from being threatened by coastal development projects.

Fishers expressed concerns over the impacts of climate change, including changing weather patterns, storm surges, and coastal erosion that were causing fishing seasons to shorten and fish stocks to dwindle. They called for district-wise ecological mapping to incorporate ecosystem buffers, safe evacuation routes, and storm-resistant storage facilities into the state's disaster preparedness plans.

Delegates also emphasized the need for reliable early warning systems that could deliver multi-day weather forecasts and wind alerts directly to traditional fishing vessels, suggesting integration with ocean forecasts from the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) using NavIC and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies.

The delegates warned that ambiguous customary rights were leaving fishers unprotected against displacement by industry activities. They urged the government to enact comprehensive legislation, inspired by the Forest Rights Act, to formally secure fishing grounds and access corridors. The delegates highlighted the need for mandatory consultation with affected communities before approving coastal development projects, and recommended revisions to the State Marine Fisheries Regulation Acts and Coastal Regulation Zone rules to acknowledge customary tenure systems and recognize coastal commons.

Participants also stressed the importance of supporting marginalized fishers, particularly women involved in the value chain, by providing legal awareness programs, free legal aid clinics in key fishing hubs, non-parametric insurance options, and compensation for mandatory conservation periods. They also advocated for increased staffing and training for the Fisheries Department to better assist these communities.