Posing a threat to the seafood industry, fishermen are catching juvenile sardines on a large-scale and transporting it to various centres to manufacture poultry feed and fertilizers. People working at the fisheries sector allege that the fishermen are putting the seafood industry in crisis by catching juvenile fishes which has been banned by the government for conserving marine resources. There are agents who wait at the shore to procure the sardines when the boats reach. Since Tuesday morning, over 100 boxes of sardines have been transported to various locations. When a group of people protested against the trade, they threw some boxes back into the water. The seafood workers said that by catching the juvenile fishes, the fishermen are leaving the big fishes with no food. This will adversely affect the reproduction of other fish varieties. Fisheries Department officials have not taken any steps against this illegal practice, they alleged.
Mathrubhumi 2016.