Chennai, June 21 (IANS) The Confederation of Indian industry (CII) has called for consultations on the proposed draft of the new costal law that has drawn flak from the fishing community across the country. In a statement posted on its website, the industry body called for consultations on Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) 2008 from June 23 in four cities of Surat, Kolkata, Mumbai and Mangalore. CII said the talks would “enable the (fishing) industry and other stakeholders understand the implications of ICZM notification, 2008″.

The draft notification has been put on the environment ministry website and invites objections within 60 days from May 1. The critics of the law say only a few fishermen understand the draft.

The National Fishworkers Forum (NFF) has already started nation-wide protests against the law asking the government to withdraw it. The NFF says the new law sets the stage for hotels, airports, ports and other infrastructure to come up on coastal areas that “will take the rights of traditional fishing folk away”.

The CII has also called for four-day long workshops on the ICZM in four coastal towns to make the industry understand the proposed new law.

“We shall also deliberate on implications of the European Union’s REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals) regulation that came into force in 2007,” CII said.

Many exporters doing business with the EU are based in coastal areas and have to comply with EU laws, it added.