NAGAPATTINAM: As the Union Government is set to introduce a supporting structure for sustainable fishing in Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and high seas, the Tamil Nadu fisherfolk demanded improved measures to promote deep-sea fishing boats such as long-liners and gillnetters.
On Saturday, Union Minister for Finance Nirmala Sitharaman announced that the Union government would introduce an enabling framework for sustainable harnessing of fisheries in the Indian EEZ (12 nautical miles to 200 nautical miles) and high seas (from 200 nautical miles) to unlock the untapped potential of the marine sector.
"To fish in a sustainable mode, deep-sea fishing vessels like gillnetters and longliners are more required. However, their construction is expensive as each vessel would take up to Rs 1.5 crore. We demand to improve the subsidies at central and state level," said P Mathiyazhagan, from Nagapattinam who once owned deep-sea boats.
The Union and state governments now provide 50% of subsidy with an upper limit of Rs 30 lakh to build new gillnetters and longliners. This is considered insufficient. There are only around 1,000 gillnetters and longliners compared to over 4,000 trawlers in Tamil Nadu.
Dr P Jawahar, a senior researcher from Tamil Nadu Dr J Jayalalithaa Fisheries University, said, "Gillnetters and longliners are mostly preferred to venture into deep sea for fishing. They are used more for specific harvesting. They are better in sustainable means of fisheries compared to trawlers."
The finance minister stressed that a special focus would be the Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep Islands. The Tamil Nadu fishers said they deserve assistance as much as any other state. RMP Rajendira Nattar, the leader of Indian National National Fishermen Union, said, "Our Tamil Nadu fishers are constantly entangled in the Palk Strait conflict with Sri Lanka. Encouraging and supporting them to pursue deep-sea fishing with gillnetters and longliners will reduce their need to venture into Palk Strait and explore the deep and high seas."