From: BRosenberr@aol.com
To: AQUA-L@listserv.ifmt.nf.ca
INDIA'S SUPREME COURT SLAMS THE DOOR ON SHRIMP FARMING
On December 11, 1996, India's Supreme Court, citing the Environmental Protection Act of 1986 and the Coastal Zone Management Plan of 1991, ordered that semi-intensive and intensive shrimp farms within 500 meters of the high tide line must cease operations by March 31, 1997! The intention of the order is to protect the environment and prevent the dislocation of local people. The order will be implemented by district magistrates and superintendents of police in each of the coastal states. Depending on how the order is interpreted, as much as 65 percent of India's farmed shrimp production could be affected.
Since this order could apply to as many as 60,000 small shrimp farms and 80,000 hectares of ponds, it's not clear how state magistrates and police will be able to administer the order by the end of March.
The order does not apply to extensive shrimp farms, most of which locate in the states of Kerala, Karnataka, Goa and West Bengal. Most semi-intensive and intensive farms locate in the states of Tamil Nadu, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh, where shrimp farming could be brought to a full stop.
- In addition:
No shrimp farming will be allowed on public lands anywhere in India.
No shrimp farming will be allowed within 1,000 meters of Chilka Lake (Orissa) and Pullicat Lake (Andhra Pradesh). Farms within 1,000 meters of these lakes must also cease operations by March 31, 1997.
Farms that close down are required to compensate their workers with six years of wages.
Shrimp farms outside of the new regulatory zones must obtain new operating permits--or shut down. Farms that affect the salinity or sediment load of the local waters will not receive permits. All farms will be required to set up effluent treatment systems.
Shrimp hatcheries within the 500-meter zone might also be affected by the order.
State governments might extend the order to creek based shrimp farms which are further inland.
- Powerful Cyclone Pounds Andhra Pradesh Shrimp Farms
A powerful cyclone pounded shrimp farms in Andhra Pradesh on November 6, 1996. Overall damage to the state's economy was estimated at $1.5 billion. With winds of over 100 miles an hour and a wall of water 12 feet high, the cyclone killed an estimated 5,000 people, many of them desperately poor shrimp seedstock fishermen. Worst hit was the coastal city of Kakinada, a shrimp farming center. Fortunately, most shrimp farms and hatcheries in the area were between crops, but the damage to buildings and ponds was extensive.
Sources:
Dr. Rengaswamy Chandran
MAC Industries Limited
183, Mount Road
Madras - 600 090, India
Phone 91-44-235-1911, Fax 91-44-235-3505
Bob Rosenberry, Editor/Publisher
Shrimp News International
9450 Mira Mesa Boulevard, Suite B-562
San Diego, CA 92126 USA
Phone 619-271-6354
Fax 619-271-0324
E-mail ShrimpNews@aol.com
Web Page http://members.aol.com/brosenberr/Home.html
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