Kerala - Kollam   

Measures to enforce trawling ban extension

Ignatius Pereira

KOLLAM: The district administration on Friday called an emergency high-level meeting following a tip-off that the mechanised boat owners in the district are gearing up to defy the Supreme Court directive extending the trawling ban up to August 15.

The tip-off received by the district administration is that boats have already started stocking ice blocks in a move to set sail for trawling from Saturday midnight.

The State Government ban on trawling would have ended on Saturday midnight. The meeting took the decision to ascertain whether ice blocks are being stocked and, if so, restrict the operation of ice plants.

The apex court verdict does not mean a ban on mechanised fishing boats alone. It covers all fishing crafts using outboard engines, which is more than 10 HP.

That means even the traditional fishing sector will be covered by the ban from July 30 to August 15. Enforcing the ban on this sector will be a major task for the district administration and the meeting discussed the issue comprehensively.

A separate meeting with the traditional sector for the purpose is likely to be called by the administration in the next two days. Figures provided at the meeting show that no more than 800 traditional crafts from Kollam district will be eligible to go for fishing during the period when the apex court ban is in force.

The administration has plans to direct the fishing community to surrender all outboard engines which are more than 10 HP during the ban period.

Additional vessels will also be taken on rent for surveillance purposes to ensure that the ban is strictly implemented. Special vigil will be maintained at the fish landing centres at Paravur, Tangassery Breakwater complex, Neendakara and Alapad.

The administration plans to organise announcements and other awareness programmes among the fishing community to create awareness and seriousness on the Supreme Court order.

The harbour mouth at Neendakara, which at present is kept partially opened for traditional crafts, will be totally closed.

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