Tamil Nadu is endowed with one of the largest and richest fishery wealth of India. The State has a 1000 km coastline with 1.9 lakh sq.km of EEZ covering the Coromandel Coast, Palk Bay, Gulf of Mannar and the West Coast, besides 21 coral islands in the Gulf of Mannar, with its rich habitats of live corals, coastal lagoons (Pulicat Lake and Muthupet Swamp) and estuaries. Regarding inland fisheries there are 5 major river systems, 51 reservoirs and innumerable tanks. The state has a tropical climate with a temperature ranging from 23 C to 40 C with an average annual rainfall of 945 mm. These natural resources harbour a variety of fin fishes, shell fishes and aquatic plants for developing the fishery wealth for the prosperity of Tamil Nadu. This rich bio-diversity and resources are under threat due to the processes of globalisation and the related economic policies of State and Central Governments.
The various interest groups such as Fishing People’s Organisations, Non-Government Organisations, Environmental and Consumer Groups, Academics, Lawyers and activists felt the need to evolve a broad based forum to protect the rights of the coastal communities and the coast from environmental degradation. Thus, a State level forum of these various organisations was formed in 1996 with the broad objective of protecting the coast and coastal communities.
CAN is involved in the following areas:

• Awareness education on coastal issues and their impact on coastal communities.
• Legal reforms with regard to the coast
• Public policy interventions and critique of budgetary allocations.
• Facilitating campaigns and struggles against destructive development projects along the coast.

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Coastal Action Network Meeting Read more

Building and Strengthening Women Fishworkers / vendors forums  Read more

Towards Strengthening Coastal Rights Defenders… Ramanathapuram Fishing People’s Conference on 29-11-2014, Ramanathapuram Read more