 The Government of India has released the draft Indian Marine Fisheries Bill 2021, causing a stir among the fishing community. The fishermen in Tamil Nadu held massive protests and strikes across the strait against the bill on August 9. The Government of Tamil Nadu has also spoken against the bill and the centre's infringement on its strikes. So we are here, came here for protesting the Indian Marine Fisheries Bill 2021. So this bill is completely against all fishermen, especially we can see a lot of things against the fishermen community and the traditional fishing and the act is saying that this bill is exemption from the traditional fishermen only when they are using the non-traditional I mean non-moderate boat. So non-moderate boat, now nobody is using. It is already out there, rest all are using from the small engine to bigger engine. But this bill is saying only this bill exemption for non-moderate boat, this is completely wrong assumption and they have to come to the seashore area and to check what we are using first. And secondly what they are saying in this bill and from the small engine to bigger engine and all size of all variety of fishing boats are come under only one word it's called fishing vessel. It is completely wrong assumption because fishing vessel means it has lot of extra equipment, navigational equipment, communication equipment but you can see the normal fishing boats are nothing. We don't have anything and we are having very minimum equipment on this boat. Then how we can come into the only one line called fishing vessel. It is completely wrong assumption from the central government and this has to be taken back and this bill, Indian Marine Fisheries Bill 2021 should be completely taken back. It is completely against the fisherman and third thing and all the fishing vessel they are saying that notation Indian fishing vessel should register under MS Act 2021, Machin Shipping Act. Machin Shipping Act 1958 is comes for only the fishing vessels and bigger vessels. So they have lot of rules and regulation under classification society. If one boat, if any fishing vessel they should have this kind of engine and this kind of safety equipment and you should have such a naval architecture designed oriented but how can we go for naval architecture design oriented boats. It is completely wrong assumption, first assumption, non-motorized boat assumption and second is all comes under only one name fishing vessel and third and registered under MS Shipping Act 1958. The bill has classified all the traditional fiber and mechanized boats on par with high end fishing vessels. Moreover, the bill has mandated the obtaining of licenses and licensing fee for fishing for the traditional fisherman. The fisherman have raised fears over the threat of being driven away from the seas. When we go for fishing, we have to go to the authorized license agency to get the license for fishing and first we have to go for registration of fishing boats. It is completely not possible. This law has come and they will they have such a certain kind of committee that committee will decide when to fish and when to not fish and they have no fishing zone. No fishing zone means you cannot go for fishing and when they give the license, when this authorized license officer when they give the license and they will say that this area from north point to south point, this latitude, this longitude, you cannot go for fishing. How can we go? How can we do fishing with this kind of attitude, this kind of law? So, it is completely wrong and there are many other things are there in the 16 pages law. I mean this must have the bill and around 14 pages are against the traditional fisherman. Only few points here and there that foreign fishing vessels cannot come for fishing in AEZ, Exclusive Economic Zone. It is okay, but another 14 pages are completely against the fisherman, especially only 12 nautical miles is come under the State Government Fissuring Act and above the 12 nautical miles to 200 nautical miles plus high seas. High seas are 200 nautical miles plus it is comes under the Indian Marine Fisheries Bill and we have to take two separate license, one license for 12 nautical miles and another license for above 12 nautical miles. It is absolutely wrong. How can we traditional fisherman go for two license? If we take local license, 12 nautical mile license, if we cross the 12 nautical mile border, how can we know the 12 nautical mile? We cannot go and measure each and every point. If we go above the 12 nautical mile and we have to go for jail and this guy will say, you came, you come to the central government point and you will be under arrest. This is completely wrong and they don't have any sense. They have to come to the beach or seashore area to check each and every point and they should discuss with fishermen and we should give the good suggestion that present situation, what is the condition and what is the against this bill? We are requesting central government and fisheries department to taking care of this and this bill has to be withdrawn completely because from the point one to point last, this Masoda, this bill is against the traditional fisherman and we are Meenavangopa Makal Yakam and plus Tamil Nadu Pudicherry Meenavarkuta Meenavarkuta. We are kindly requesting central government and state government to withdraw the bill as soon as possible to save and to protect the fishermen community.