The 61-day-long annual fishing ban along the east coast from April 15 to June 14 for facilitating fish breeding came into force on Friday midnight.
As per the Tamil Nadu Marine Fishing Regulation Act 1983, fishing by mechanised boats would be banned for 61 days between April 15 and June 14 along the east coast to facilitate fish breeding. Hence, fishing by mechanised boats and the liner vessels would not be allowed to venture into the sea for fishing in the area during this period.
When the ban came into force, all 245 mechanized boats operating from Tuticorin Fishing Harbour were berthed. Owners of the mechanised boats would utilise this ban period for carryout repairing and painting of boats. Mending of fishnets would be taken-up two weeks ahead of the lifting of the ban period – i.e. from June 1.
All 225 mechanized boats involved in multi-day deep sea stay fishing also have returned to their base at Tharuvaikulam near here.
Consequent to this ban period, prices of marine products would skyrocket as small catches made by country boats cannot meet the demand.
Kanniyakumari District Collector R.N. Sridhar has warned that mechanised boats violating this ban would be deregistered and would not get the subsidised diesel anymore. Moreover, criminal action would be taken against the owner of the boat and the crew who took the boat into the sea for fishing during the ban period.
Country boat fishermen of Tirunelveli district have appealed to Kanniyakumari district administration to ensure the strict enforcement of the fishing ban along the east coast as mechanised boats from Colachel, Muttom and Thaengaaipattinam, all in Kanniyakumari district, and boats operating from the fishing harbours in Kerala enter the sea on the east coast during the ban period.
“It has become a regular practice for the past few years and the country boat fishermen have to chase the mechanised boats entering the east coast for fishing during the ban period. Naturally, it leads to intense clash between both sides every year. If this ban is violated this year, the mechanised boats entering the east coast during the ban period would be destroyed in the mid-sea after taking the crew as hostages. It is up to the fisheries department officials and the marine police to take serious view of this issue and avert the clash,” warned country boat fishermen from Idinthakarai and Uvari.
Whenever mechanised boats violate the ban or enter the prohibited zone of five nautical miles from the shoreline during normal days, it leads to mid-sea mishaps and consequent clash between the country boat fishermen and the crew of mechanised boats. Even though several county boat fishermen lives have been lost in the past, the violation continues due to the callous attitude of the fisheries department officials in taking stringent action against the violating mechanized boats.
In the last mishap that took place off Idinthakarai coast involving a mechanised boat from Chinna Muttom fishing harbour near Kanniyakumari and a country boat from Idinthakarai, two fishermen from Idintharai sustained grievous injuries. The Tirunelveli district country boat fishermen’s tough posture led to the registration of case against the mechanised boat crew and the owner. They all went underground.
“We don’t want to see such violations anymore… If the fisheries department officials still refuse to act tough against the violating boats from Kanniyakumari district or Kerala, they should also own the responsibility for what is going to happen in the high-seas, which would certainly attract the entire nation’s attention towards this region,” the country boat fishermen warn.