Kerala’s fishing community will launch a united fight against the Centre’s move to open the State’s rich black sand and offshore mineral resources to large corporate players, Kerala State Fishermen Coordination Committee chairperson and former MP T.N. Prathapan said.

Describing the Bill introduced in Parliament recently as a direct challenge to the State’s fishermen, Mr. Prathapan alleged that the proposed amendments to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, were aimed at facilitating greater private participation in mineral extraction.

“The move came despite strong opposition from Kerala and threatened the livelihood of traditional fishing communities. The inclusion of territorial waters within the ambit of offshore areas would further expand the scope for private mining along the State’s coastline,” he said.

Met resistance

A proposal to mine seabed sand from three blocks off the Kollam coast had earlier met with stiff resistance from fishermen and was eventually shelved, he said.

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

“The proposed legislation would also curtail the States’ powers to collect cess and levies from private companies, he claimed. The Centre was effectively seeking to take control of resources in territorial waters and facilitate their transfer to private interests,” he said.

The move was part of the Centre’s “anti-fishermen” Blue Economy policy, Mr. Prathapan alleged. Citing the recommendations of the Shailesh Nayak committee, he said the Centre had been seeking greater control over coastal and offshore areas and their mineral resources.

Kerala’s coastal waters are estimated to hold about 138 million tonnes of black sand containing valuable minerals such as monazite, ilmenite, sillimanite, rutile, garnet, magnetite and zircon, he said.

The proposed mineral corridor covering Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha also raised concerns about the growing influence of corporate interests in the sector, he said.

Welcomes decision

Mr. Prathapan welcomed the 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.

“Kerala’s fishermen will resist and defeat the Centre’s move, cutting across political affiliations, as it directly threatens their livelihood and survival,” he said.

Published - August 13, 2026 08:10 pm IST