Trawling ban to commence from Tuesday night
KOCHI: Amid a raging debate over its impact, the 52-day monsoon season trawling ban will begin on Tuesday midnight. As many as 3,800 trawlers, 600 gillnet boats and 60 purse seine boats that operate from the Kerala coast have returned to the shore. Most of them have been moved to the backwaters where they will be idling till July 31. During the ban period, the government will provide free ration to those working in boats and shrimp peeling units.
Ahead of the ban, the fisheries department has directed all diesel bunks functioning along the coastal areas to shut down. And mechanised boats from other states have been told to leave the Kerala coast. However, diesel bunks operated by the Matsyafed will provide fuel for country boats fitted with inboard engines, operated by traditional fishermen.
“Three patrol boats, a Coast Guard vessel and a helicopter have been kept ready to rescue fishermen in distress at sea,” Fisheries Joint Director Saju MS told TNIE. “The traditional fishermen who venture into the sea during the ban period should carry their biometric identity cards and safety gear.” Most of the trawling boats were not operating as workers went to their native places following the lockdown announcement. “But there are chances of the Tamil Nadu boats returning in view of the trawling ban. So we have alerted all coastal police stations,” said Fisheries Deputy Director Maja Jose.
the traditional fishermen in the state have been demanding to extend the ban period to 90 days. “Countries across the world are banning trawling as such destructive fishing practices have been damaging the marine ecosystem severely,” said Matsya Thozhilali Aikya Vedi president Charles George.
“In 1987, the N Balakrishnan Nair committee had recommended a 90-day trawling ban. The Sunil Mohammed-Saira Banu committee had recommended a two-phase ban, during the pre-monsoon and post-monsoon periods.” The trawling ban was introduced in 1988 aiming to give marine species a respite from fishing during their spawning season, thereby facilitating the replenishment of stocks.
Though the Centre has mooted a total fishing ban during the ban period, Kerala has been allowing traditional fishermen to continue fishing. However, mechanised boat owners object the relaxation given to traditional fishermen.
“The inboard engine-fitted country craft used by traditional fishermen is 80-feet long and the fishing net they use weighs 2,000 kg. The net is cast over an area of 1.5km and is drawn through the seafloor up to a depth of 120m, destroying the marine ecosystem. The ring seine nets used by them destruct the seafloor more than the nets used by us,” said Kerala Fishing Boat Operators’ Association president Joseph Xavier Kalapurackal.
But Leela Edwin, the principal scientist with the Centre for Fisheries Technology, said there was no need for a conflict between trawl boat operators and traditional fishermen. “The species they catch are entirely different,” Leela said.“While the traditional fishermen work in coastal waters, trawlers go deep into the sea. However, the argument of the boatmen has substance as allowing fishing activities during the ban period is not good.”
Kerala fish landing in 2018
6.43l tonnesKerala’s share in fish production --
13%Sector-wise fish landing Mechanised boats
75%Motorised country
craft — 24%
Non-motorised boats — 1%
3,800 trawl boats 600 longliners and gillnet boats
60 purse seine boats27,000 country craft
490 inboard engine-fitted long country craft