CHENNAI: Chief Minister M Karunanidhi requested Union Minister of Agriculture Sharad Pawar to initiate a wider dialogue with the fishermen and other stakeholders for bringing in the Marine Fisheries (Regulation and Management) Bill, 2009, which was inclusive and progressive.
In a letter to Pawar, who also looks after the fisheries portfolio, Karunanidhi said that, “as the fishing activities in Palk Bay areas off Tamil Nadu were already affected owing to harassment of fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy and marine fish production getting exhausted in territorial waters, the introduction of the Bill without consulting the fishermen community and other stakeholders would have wider implications.”
Drawing Pawar’s attention to the apprehensions raised by TN fishermen, Karunanidhi said “the State government has already communicated its remarks on the Bill, but it appears that the same have not been incorporated in the draft Bill.”
Karunanidhi said, “the apprehensions of the fishermen were that the penalty clauses were severe and the conditions stipulated in the Bill for fishing beyond 12 nautical miles were too severe and impracticable.’’
The DMK chief pointed out that the chapter “Obtaining permit for fishing beyond territorial waters” stipulated (Clause 1, page No 4) that Indian fishing vessel shall require a specific permit for undertaking any fishing activity in any maritime zone outside the territorial waters” was detrimental.
Karunanidhi said it was also not practically possible to physically prevent the fishermen from fishing beyond 12 nautical miles in the absence of clear-cut geographical zoning. He requested Pawar to “ensure that deep sea fishing vessels registered under the Merchant Shipping Act/Mercantile Marine Department alone were brought under the purview of this clause”.