KOCHI: The annual monsoon period trawl ban will begin on Saturday midnight, restricting the operations of around 3,500 mechanised fishing boats in Kerala’s coastal sea up to a distance of 12 nautical miles. The government has increased the ban period to 52 days, in an attempt to raise the ban period to 61 days, in line with the Union Government’s fishing policy.
The seasonal trawling ban was introduced in the state in 1988 to give the marine species a respite during their spawning season and facilitate replenishment of stocks. However, fishermen operating motorised country boats have been excluded from the ban.
Debates rage
As usual, the trawl ban has triggered a debate on the outcome of the ban. While mechanised boat owners argue that the ban has not helped replenish the fish resources, traditional fishermen refute the allegations. There are around 36,000 fishing vessels operating from the Kerala coast of which only around 3,500 are mechanised boats. While the mechanised boats are banned from venturing into the sea around 32,000 traditional fishing boats scour the sea making good of the opportunity. Scientists are also of the opinion that the trawl ban has not helped to replenish the marine resources. Though there was a marginal rise in the catch after the trawl ban in the initial years, the results have not been encouraging of late.
The monsoon period is the breeding season of Parapenaeopsis Stylifera or shrimp popularly known as ‘Karikadi’. According to mechanised boat owners they used to get around 55,000 tonnes of karikadi in the 1980’s but after the trawl ban was imposed the haul has plummeted to around 2,000 tonnes.
“Kerala used to export around 50,000 tonnes of shrimp in the 80’s.But now we are getting only 2,000 tonnes in the post-ban period. Around 174 small-scale export houses have closed down due to the drop in the catch. Each boat used to get around 5 to 10 tonnes of shrimp during the monsoon season. I feel the trawl ban is an unscientific decision. Even scientists moot a two-phase trawl ban of 30 days duration each in the pre-monsoon and post monsoon period,” said All-Kerala Fishing Boat Operators Association general secretary Joseph Xavier Kalapurackal.
He said that the so-called traditional fishing boats are no more traditional. “Many in-board boats are bigger than the mechanised boats and they carry 3,500 kg of nets. While the government has specified the mesh size of the fishing net should be 23 mm, the Matyafed itself provide fishing nets with mesh size of 8 mm to these traditional boats. There is no complete fishing holiday in Kerala which has failed the very idea of trawl ban. While the Fisheries Department imposed a fine of Rs 90 lakh on mechanised boats for juvenile, there was no scrutiny of juvenile fishing by traditional fishermen,” he said.
‘Trawling damages ecosystem’
Refuting the allegations, Traditional Fishermen Coordination Committee leader P B Dayanandan said scientific studies have proved that bottom trawling was destroying the marine ecosystem. Heavy nets are dragged along the seafloor, killing corals, sponges and fish fingerlings. It is true the traditional fishermen now use bigger boats. But around 50 fishermen work min these boats. We don’t get enough fish to sustain these fifty families. If the government says we should stop fishing activities during monsoon season, we are ready to accept it. But the government should give us alternative employment,” he said.
Kerala should follow the footsteps of Sri Lanka and enforce complete trawl ban, said Kerala Matsya Thozhilali Aikya Vedi president Charles George.
“Many countries have imposed trawling ban from two months to six months. In 1987, N Balakrishnan Nair committee had recommended 90-days trawl ban. The Sunil Mohammed - Saira Banu Committee had recommended two-phase trawling ban during the pre-monsoon and post-monsoon period. Along with the trawl ban, the state government should ensure that all stake holders adhere to the juvenile fishing restrictions,” he said.
Ban, a ritual
Cusat School of Marine Sciences head S Bijoy Nandan said the trawl ban has become more ritualistic than conservative. “Both mechanised boats and motorised boats are damaging marine ecosystem by following destructive fishing methods. The government should bring in restrictions on fishing sector and introduce a fishing calendar. A committee should be formed to fix the carrying capacity of the fishing boats and a quota system should be introduced.
The change in climatic conditions has adversely impacted the breeding pattern of the marine species. There needs to be an in-depth study on the impact of the climatic changes on the marine world. The breeding cycle of the fishes is getting disturbed and we need serious efforts to sustain our marine resources,” he said.