Sustainable coastal development mooted

PUDUCHERRY: A well thought out strategic action plan that aims at sustainable coastal development was needed to address the multifarious challenges, said Lieutenant Governor Iqbal Singh on Monday.Speaking at the stake holders meeting on the Bay of Bengal Large Marine Ecosystem (BOBLME) project here, he said the fact that the majority of the people in the coastal areas of countries bordering the Bay of Bengal lived below poverty level made coastal management an absolute necessity.“The conflicts between large and small scale fishermen makes the task challenging,” he said and added that sustainable fishing practices as well as decline in income from fisheries also added to the issue.“Addressing these multifarious challenges certainly needs a well thought out action plan that aims at sustainable coastal development,” he said.Centre has full faith,  says RangasamyCM N Rangasamy, who presided over the function, said the Centre had full faith in the  government for its capability to implement central schemes in the UT..