Kerala fishermen vow united resistance to Centre's black sand mining Bill

Kerala's fishing community has pledged to launch a coordinated struggle against the Union government's proposed amendments to mining laws, which they fear will open the state's black sand deposits and offshore mineral resources to large corporate houses. T.N. Prathapan, chairperson of the Kerala State Fishermen Coordination Committee and a former Member of Parliament, said the community would resist the move across political lines.

The proposed changes to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, recently introduced in Parliament, seek to include territorial waters within the definition of offshore areas. Mr. Prathapan said this would expand the scope for private extraction along Kerala's coastline, directly challenging the livelihood of traditional fishing communities.

He noted that the amendments are being pushed despite strong opposition from the state. Earlier, a proposal to mine seabed sand from three blocks off the Kollam coast was shelved following stiff resistance from fishermen, he recalled.

Mr. Prathapan alleged that large corporate groups have already begun entering the offshore mineral sector following amendments to the Offshore Areas Mineral (Development and Regulation) Act in 2023. He cited proposed investments in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh as evidence of growing corporate interest.

The leader further claimed that the proposed legislation would curtail states' powers to collect cess and levies from private companies. In effect, the Centre was seeking to take control of resources in territorial waters and hand them over to private interests, he added.

He described the move as part of the Centre's 'Blue Economy' policy, which he said is anti-fishermen. Citing the recommendations of the Shailesh Nayak committee, Mr. Prathapan said the Centre has been trying to increase its dominance over coastal and offshore areas and their mineral wealth.

Kerala's coastal waters are estimated to contain about 138 million tonnes of black sand rich in valuable minerals including monazite, ilmenite, sillimanite, rutile, garnet, magnetite and zircon. The proposed mineral corridor covering Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha has also raised concerns about the growing influence of corporate interests in the sector.

Mr. Prathapan welcomed the Kerala Chief Minister's reported assurance that private players would not be permitted to mine black sand in the state and that public-sector mineral enterprises would not be privatised. He said fishermen across the state will wage a united fight, cutting across political affiliations, as the move directly threatens their survival.