THOOTHUKUDI: After a 61-day-fishing ban, more than 81 unregistered fishing vessels, which do not come under the Tamil Nadu Fisheries Department or the Mercantile Marine Department, will set sail from Thursday.
The ban came into effect on April 15, and will end on Wednesday. During the past 60 days, mechanised vessel owners overhauled their fishing boats and equipment, while officials from the fisheries department conducted a survey to identify the number of unregistered boats. The survey found around 416 registered mechanised vessels and 81 unregistered at Vembar, Tharuvaikulam and Thoothukudi fishing harbours.
Speaking to TNIE, a senior fisheries official said the 81 unregistered mechanised vessels have violated the norms pertaining to length and engine horsepower permitted in the Tamil Nadu Marine Fishing Regulation Act, 1983. "The unregistered fishing vessels are also allowed to start fishing from Thursday, however, subsidised fuel will be cut for them. A report on unregistered vessels and boats has been sent to the state government and until further orders, they will be allowed to do fishing," he added, on the request of anonymity.
However, activists have strongly condemned the fisheries department for permitting unregistered vessels to fish as they do not come under any Act or law.
According to sources, the Tamil Nadu Marine Fishing Regulation Act, 1983, authorises only fishing vessels that have a length of 24 metre and equipped with engines having 24 horsepower (HP) capacity. Beyond these stipulations are categorised unregistered vessels, which are supposed to be registered under the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958. The Merchant Shipping Act allows them to venture into deep sea and allows multi-day fishing, which is prohibited under TNMFRA. However, the vessels should set sail after 6 am and enter the harbour before 6 pm irrespective of their stay in the mid sea, they added.
A mechanised vessel owner, whose boat is unregistered, told TNIE that they have filed an application with the Mercantile Marine Department (MMD) for authorisation under Merchant Shipping Act and even took the matter to the High Court. "Following a Madras High Court order, the MMD conferred the power to the assistant director of the fisheries department to authorise a vessel under Merchant Shipping Act, 1958. However, the department has not considered it for the past 5 years," he said.
Thoothukudi mechanised fishing vessel owners association vice president John Bosco said the association has planned to move court over the issue. "If we get the authorisation under the Merchant Shipping Act, it will be a new revolution for fishing activities," he added.