Our Beaches, Our Sea: Heritage of Fishing Communities, Usufruct of all citizens

Vizhinjam, located on the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram district, is the largest fishing village in Kerala. As per 2016 data, it houses 4,483 fishing families and has 4,950 full-time fishers. Fishers from Vizhinjam do not own any mechanised fishing trawlers, ring-seine vessels, or gillnetter. 

Fisherfolk from different parts of Thiruvananthapuram district and neighbouring Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu depend on Vizhinjam harbour during peak monsoon months. Although the number of fishermen reduced over the years, about 30,000 fishers still rely on the harbour during the southwest monsoon season.

In 2004, the Government of Kerala registered Vizhinjam International Seaport Limited (VISL) as a special purpose company. The contract for the VIS project was granted to Adani Ports SEZ Ltd (AVPPL) in 2015 but caused concerns due to the irregularities in the environmental assessment process. Data discrepancies in Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report for the port failed to capture issues regarding coastal stability, biodiversity, dredging requirements, livelihood and harbour impact.

More than 20 percent of coastal sea biodiversity in Kerala is found along Vizhinjam Bay, and before building VIS, 1,200 species were recorded in the area. It was noted that even before completing 70 per cent of VIS construction, key ecosystems and species might go extinct. 

The ongoing constructions for VIS can potentially change waves and currents, and cause substantial effects on the sand dynamics. Constructions include a 3.18 km long breakwater, dredging to get a 20.4 m draft for the inner channel, 18.5 m berth and outer channel, and 66 ha coastal sea reclamation with 7.6 million m³ of dredged materials.

The ongoing constriction of VIS can potentially affect various economic services rocky reefs provide in Vizhinjam. These include coastal protection, tourism, research, fishery support, promoting water quality and cultural values. The report calculated around Rs. 2,035 crore worth of value for these ecosystem services that could be lost from building VIS.

Based on analysing similar port constructions, impacts such as coastal erosion, down-drift and up-drift side flooding, coastal property destructions, damages to coastal and inner shelf biodiversity and habitat, interference with fishing activities, job losses and effects of coastal aesthetics are expected from constructing VIS.

Considering the extensive adverse social, environmental and economic impacts of VIS development, the document advocates for incorporating a Social License to Operate (SLO). This enhances transparency, fairness, and social acceptance. 

According to a 2019 report by the Government of Kerala, around 3,339 houses by fisherfolk were affected by erosion after 2015. Of these, 48 per cent are located north of VIS. After the port construction started, around 289 houses across seven villages were destroyed by sea.

To avoid deficiencies in the EIA process, steps such as establishing independent oversight, disclosure of data, methodology and source, community consultation, initiating penalties for unethical practices, can ensure accuracy and accountability.

Focus and Factoids by Namitha Madhukumar.