KOCHI: Amid alarming reports of depletion in marine fish stock in Kerala’s coastal sea, the alleged increase in juvenile fishing has led to a confrontation between the traditional fishermen and boat owners in the state.The immediate provocation for the standoff is the attack on Vypeen Fisheries Station and forceful release of two fishing vessels allegedly by boatmen in the early hours of Sunday.The boats were seized by the Fisheries Department for catching fish below the minimum legal size (MLS). The Kerala government had amended the Kerala Marine Fisheries Regulation Act earlier this year banning juvenile fishing of 44 species in Kerala waters.
Alleging the juvenile fishing is leading to depletion of fish stocks, Kerala Matsya Thozhilali Aikya Vedi demanded the state government to enforce the rule strictly and strengthen the Marine Enforcement Wing to curb illegal fishing. Aikya Vedi state president Charles George said the traditional fishermen will seize the fishing vessels involved in juvenile fishing and hand over the boats to the Fisheries Department, if the government fails to act against the violators.
All Kerala Mechanised Fishing Boat Operators Association general secretary Joseph Xavier Kalappurackal cautioned the mechanised fishing industry would migrate to other states if the government continues imposing undesirable curbs on the fishing sector. He said the vessels have stopped fishing activities after the Fisheries Department started raiding boats in the name of enforcing the law.