The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Visakhapatnam News : Plea to scrap licence of foreign vessels

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jan 09, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam

Plea to scrap licence of foreign vessels

By Our Staff Reporter

VISAKHAPATNAM, JAN. 8. Deploring the licences issued to Taiwanese trawlers, the Andhra Pradesh Mechanised Boat Operators Association (APMBOA) and the Visakha Dolphin Boat Operators' Welfare Association (VDBOWA) have asked the Government to revoke the permission granted to the foreign vessels.

Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, the APMBOA president, P.C. Appa Rao, and the VDBOWA general secretary, Ch. Satyanarayana Murthy, alleged that there were reports that licences had been granted to 85 Taiwanese trawlers. The first lot of five vessels reached here a few days ago.

They said that some big exporters had invested money in the foreign trawlers and got the firms registered to catch tuna, and alleged that permissions had been given by the Marine Mercantile Department and other agencies in violation of the recommendation of Murari Committee.

``The decision will cripple us at a time when we are recovering from tsunami effect and getting ready to diversify into tuna fishing by upgrading our mechanised boats into long-liners,'' Mr. Appa Rao said.

Submerged trawlers

He also took strong exception to the berthing of Taiwanese trawlers in the fishing harbour. "As it is, we don't have space to put our boats. Hence, there is no point in berthing foreign vessels in the fishing harbour,'' he said.

Accusing the powers-that-be of not extending proper support to indigenous fishermen, he said that all the trawlers, which were bought by some people not connected with their community with funds sanctioned by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, had been reported `sick'.

In fact, after undertaking fishing for a few days, they had abandoned the trawlers off Vizag coast. All these trawlers had submerged near the fishing harbour causing space congestion, he alleged.

Mr. Appa Rao said that the Congress Government should take the initiative to fulfil their long-pending demand of including fishermen in Scheduled Tribes list and giving loans liberally for diversification and augmenting infrastructure for cold storage, processing and value added products.

Seizure of boats

Describing the plight of Andhra fishermen arrested in Orissa, Mr. Appa Rao said that the Orissa authorities were not only booking cases against crew members but also seizing their boats.

Of the 11 seized some time ago, only seven had been released. Four vessels were still detained making them unfit for undertaking voyage.

He said that the authorities concerned of both the States should evolve a formula to prevent harassment of fishermen and impounding of their boats.

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