THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: To end destructive fishing practices once and for all, the government will promulgate an ordinance banning the use of purse seine nets and methods like pair trawling and catching of fish hatchlings. Though there exists a government order discouraging unscientific fishing methods that endanger fish hatchlings, fishermen give scant regard to it.
Fisheries Minister J Mercykutty Amma conveyed the government’s decision at a meeting organised the other day to congratulate three persons from the fishing community who spoke at the United Nations. She was responding to a memorandum submitted by the Friends of Marine Life (FML), an organisation working for the protection of marine life and welfare of fisherfolk, in view of the alarming decline in marine resources.
Mercykutty said the government was also convinced of the ill-effects of dumping rocks to construct the breakwaters and seawalls. “There have been demands for building fishing harbours at Poonthura and Valiyathrua and to construct breakwaters. However, the government has decided against it” she said. FML founder and chief programme coordinator Robert Panipilla said an ordinance alone will not help the cause.
“The government should urgently set up check posts at harbours. Fisherfolk who violate the rules and catch fish hatchlings using purse seine nets should be penalised heavily and their boats should be seized,” he said.
One of FML’s major demands was to impose a ‘Blue Tax’ on boats using the banned nets.
Panipalli said the satellite-supported mobile app being used to catch Pelagic fish will wipe out fish resources.“The technology should be used to locate boats engaged in illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing of Pelagic fish,” he said.
The FML’s demands also included incorporating ‘ocean literacy programme’ in students’ syllabi.T Peter, the national general secretary of National Fish workers Forum, welcomed the government’s move. “Bringing in a legislation to ban destructive fishing practices like use of purse seine nets and pair trawling had been a long-pending demand of the forum and the Swatantra Matsya Thozhilali Federation,” he told Express. “Though an executive order against night trawling has been issued, mechanised fishing boats continue to do so,” he said.