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Fishermen call for limits on their larger rivals

Activists from Oxfam International sail a junk displaying a huge banner reading ``Make Trade Fair'' toward the Hong Kong Convention center, right, yesterday, where the sixth WTO ministerial conference is being held. WTO ministers held a third day of talks in Hong Kong following sharp criticism of the US and the EU over cotton subsidies and banana tariffs, and protests by farmers and fishermen, among others. PHOTO: AFP

Around 300 Asian fishermen calling for curbs on large-scale commercial fishing marched through Hong Kong yesterday on a third day of anti-WTO protests.

The fishermen from the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and Cambodia held up banners calling for better protection as they marched to Wan Chai, where the 149 WTO member states were meeting.

The march, which was peaceful and orderly, began at the city's Victoria Park yesterday morning and made its way on a 1.6km route to Wan Chai. It ended with the fishermen coming up against lines of riot police who had already dealt with two days of violent protests by militant South Korean farmers since Tuesday.

A delegation of fishermen presented a petition calling on large international commercial fishing companies to pull out of their territorial waters in order to protect livelihoods.

Later yesterday, around 1,000 South Korean farmers planned to stage a third day of protests outside the city's convention and exhibition center where 6,000 WTO delegates are meeting.

Some protesters said they planned to crawl 1,600m from Victoria Park to the designated protest zone in Wan Chai to symbolize the helplessness of the poor in the face of the wealthy WTO members.

Around 9,000 Hong Kong police officers armed with riot gear and pepper spray foam are on duty for the six-day ministerial conference which began on Tuesday afternoon.

Around 10,000 anti-globalization protesters have descended on Hong Kong and plan a series of daily protests outside the meeting venue, although all the violence so far has involved South Korean activists.

Hong Kong police say that they expect to see increasingly violent protests as the WTO meeting continues but insist they are ready for anything the protesters may attempt.

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WTO talks stalling over farm subsidies

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