Fisherwomen question tourism's 'magic'

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, India -- Beatles star Sir Paul McCartney described his 2002 tour of Kerala, a state in southern India, in one word--"magical." For thousands who throng the state's green villages, picturesque backwaters and beaches, the experience is no less than a "Magical Mystery Tour." But local fisherwomen say it means new and harsh realities for them.

A group of fisherwomen chose a rather surreal way to mark World Tourism Day Sept. 27. They gagged themselves, wore headbands sporting slogans and sat in protest in front of the state secretariat. "Tourism in the state is increasingly challenging our livelihoods, environment and culture," said Magline Peter, a leader of the Coastal Women's Front that led the protest.

National Geographic lists Kerala as one of 50 "must see" destinations. Revenue from tourism grew from $502 million in 2000 to $2.3 billion last year. An estimated 500,000 foreign tourists and an even larger number of domestic tourists visit the state annually.

The tourism boom has led to a dramatic increase in beachfront construction for resorts and other tourism-related businesses.

The women's front and their associates, the Kerala Independent Fishworkers Federation, say that the construction and the resorts are eroding the fragile coastal environment and denying fisherfolk access to the sea and their livelihood.

A recent documentary, "Resisting Coastal Invasion," directed by the award-winning filmmaker K.P. Sasi, shows how resorts take prime beaches away from fisherfolk. One scene, for instance, shows a barbed wire fence blocking an entire fisherfolk neighborhood from the sea.

Peter said that besides denying access to the sea, the resorts eliminate space fisherfolk use for fish drying, selling their catch and socialization. "Resorts take away our space to dry fish and mingle in privacy and the places men use to mend and dry nets, park boats and relax," Magline said. "Tourism often brings people right into to our backyards, where women work, wash and bathe."

Kerala's award-winning tourism department says it is committed to preserving local cultures from the onslaught of commercial tourism. Under the banner "Responsible Tourism," the department says it is working to ensure that the benefits of tourism reach local communities.

"We want to make the villages surrounding tourism hubs self-sufficient through the revenue from the sector," said state tourism minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan.

--Inter Press Service

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