The Congress leader said the Offshore Areas Mineral (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2023 was met with strong objections.Opening up offshore mining blocks to private players without any rigorous assessment of its impact was concerning, he said, noting that studies point to its adverse impacts, including threats to marine life, damage to coral reefs and the depletion of fish stock.In this backdrop, when the Ministry of Mines invited tenders for grant of license for 13 offshore blocks, protests erupted against this move.Gandhi said among the 13 blocks are three blocks for mining construction sand in the coast of Kollam, a vital fish breeding habitat, and three blocks for polymetallic nodules off the coast of the Great Nicobar islands- a marine biodiversity hotspot.The former Congress chief claimed that tenders were floated without any consultation with the stakeholders or an assessment of the long term socio-economic impact on coastal communities.He also claimed that the ongoing survey of the Marine Monitoring Lab (MML) of the University of Kerala’s Department of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries found that offshore mining could have a devastating impact on fish breeding, especially in Kollam.Noting that over 11 lakh people rely on fishing in Kerala, he said any major this is their traditional occupation and is closely tied to their way of life.Great Nicobar is globally recognised for harbouring diverse ecosystems and is home to several endemic species of wildlife.
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