KOCHI: In an attempt to regulate illegal and unsustainable fishing practices, the fisheries department will intensify surprise checks on vessels, including trawl boats and country craft used by traditional fishermen.
The decision was taken at a meeting held in Vypin on Saturday to end the stand-off between traditional fishermen and trawlboat operators. Fisheries director Abdul Nasar, joint director S Mahesh and senior officials held talks with the representatives of fishermen unions who seized two trawl boats off the Kochi coast on Friday alleging the use of illegal pelagic nets for fishing.
“The director has assured fishermen unions that stringent action will be taken against the use of fishing nets with mesh size below 20 mm. The unions demanded that all trawl boats be directed to fix Turtle Excluder Device (TED) in the fishing nets to facilitate the lifting of the ban on Indian wild-caught shrimp by the USA. He also requested fishermen to stop confronting trawl boats. If they have information about the use of banned nets they have to inform the department,” said joint director S Mahesh.
Kerala Swatantra Matsya Thozhilali Federation (KSMTF) president Jackson Pollayil said the unions stressed the need to stop pair trawling by trawl boats using pelagic nets, which is leading to the depletion of fish stocks in the sea. “The department is imposing a fine of Rs 2.5 lakh on fishing boats involved in juvenile fishing. Some trawlboats are using nets with small mesh size for fishing. The catch is brought to the harbours around 3.30 am and is sold to fish meal factories outside the state. The department should seize such boats, nets and vehicles transporting juvenile fish to fishmeal factories,” he said.
The unions also demanded the withdrawal of the decision to increase the fishermen’s contribution to the welfare fund from Rs 100 to Rs 300. The annual licence fee for in-board engine fishing vessels used by traditional fishermen has been raised from Rs 9,000 to Rs 13,500. The department should raise the licence fee for fishing boats from other states fishing in Kerala’s coastal waters which is currently fixed at Rs 25,000. The government should impose a cess on fish brought from other states for sale in Kerala and the amount should be paid to the welfare fund, said Jackson. The fishermen’s unions also held a protest in front of the Matsya Bhavan in Chellanam on Saturday raising these demands.
Fishermen Coordination Committee president Charles George said both the traditional fishermen and trawl boats are using banned nets which has led to depletion of fish stocks in the sea. He demanded stringent action against the violators. “The traditional fishermen use LED lights to attract fish to the net during the December - January period which is a banned practice. The use of ring seine and purse seine nets with small mesh size should be stopped,” he said.
A meeting of trawl boat owners will be held at Munambam on Monday to discuss legal action against fishermen who attack trawl boats and seize them, said All Kerala Fishing Boat Operators Association general secretary Joseph Xavier Kalappurackal. “Though there is a ban on the use of fishing nets with mesh size below 20 mm, the traditional fishermen are using nets with 10 mm mesh. The association will discourage violation of regulations but the government should show the same enthusiasm to curb illegal activities by traditional fishermen. The pelagic nets have a mesh size of 25 mm and a length of 225 m. The inboard engine fishing crafts used by fishermen are 35 m long and they use nets with a length of 1.5 km,” he said.
FISHERIES DEPT FINES 2 TRAWL BOATS SEIZED BY FISHERMEN
Kochi: The fisheries department has imposed a fine of D2.5 lakh each on the two trawl boats seized by fishermen on Friday alleging use of banned pelagic nets for fishing operations. The fine was imposed on trawl boas Star Meen and St Ann after conducting an inspection. The catch stored in the boats was auctioned for D50,000 and the amount was paid to the state exchequer, said fisheries assistant director P Aneesh.