Karnataka - Mangalore   

A `holiday' that fishermen in Dakshina Kannada can do without

M. Raghuram

The fishing season appears to be coming to an end in the district

MANGALORE: The fishing season, which generally gets over in Dakshina Kannada district in June, at least officially, appears to be already coming to an end.

Fifty per cent of fishing vessels are not being taken out to sea because of dwindling volumes of catch.

There are about 1,200 vessels, including country crafts, used by fishermen, but only 600 of them are being used.

They return with a catch that barely helps meet expenses on diesel and crew wages.

Loknath Bolar, a leader of fishermen, claims there are times when fishermen come back empty-handed.

The underutilisation of subsidised diesel provided for the season is one indication that it has been a poor fishing season in the district.

Each year, the Government provides 55,000 kilolitres of subsidised diesel for the State, and 48 per cent is consumed in Dakshina Kannada, Mr. Bolar says. Consumption of diesel has come down by 25 percent because fewer fishermen are venturing out into the sea.

In a normal fishing season, which starts in September, the quota is used up by February-end.

Experts say marine resources have been overexploited. Others point to what they call irrational and unsustainable methods of fishing in the deep sea by bull trawlers from other countries. Academics at the fisheries college are of the view that fishing during the breeding season has contributed to the "fish famine".

Trawlers of foreign origin are mainly responsible, according to experts.

At least 90 trawlers and about 50 industrial fishing vessels remain throughout the season and during the monsoon in the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone.

Several foreign fishing companies, each with fleets of bull trawlers that have onboard fish processing and canning facilities, have been permitted.

According to general secretary of the Karnataka Fishermen Action Committee Vasudeva Boloor, many types of fish, such as pomfret, jumbo prawns, ribbonfish and cuttlefish, have become rare.

Mackerel, sardines and various types of perches sustain fisheries in this part of the coast, though they only fetch low prices.

Fishermen need a good catch of exotic fish varieties to increase their income, Mr. Boloor says.

However, figures given by the Department of Fisheries speak of near-normal volumes of the catch.

The value of the catch this season (till February 2006) is worth Rs. 257.53 crores (76,844 tonnes) compared with Rs. 280.67 crores (85,085 tonnes) in the 2004-2005 season, according to the department.

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