The Hindu : Kerala News : Vessels from Indonesia trigger fish workers’ ire

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Saturday, Jan 05, 2008
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Kerala

Vessels from Indonesia trigger fish workers’ ire

K.P.M. Basheer

They may go in for joint deep-sea fishing

They are fishing in the territory with Munambam as base
Joint enterprise is against the spirit of Murari panel report

KOCHI: The arrival of a number of Indonesian fishing vessels off the Kochi coast has kicked up the anger and concern of local fish workers, who fear that these vessels are testing the waters for the ‘destructive’ joint deep-sea fishing enterprises.

Already in deep trouble because of the falling catches and, hence of income, the fish workers are alarmed that the well-equipped foreign vessels will poach their source of livelihood.

Fish workers reported the suspicious presence of Indonesian vessels at Munambam a month ago.

These vessels, carrying Indonesian crew and workers, were later found to be fishing in the territorial waters with Munambam as their base.

16 vessels in operation

According to Charles George, president of the Kerala Matsya Thozhilali Aikya Vedi (TUCI), there are at least 16 Indonesian vessels currently operating off Munambam. These are owned by two Indonesian companies, Moon and Sapphire, which have struck up partnership with Indian companies.

Mr. George said that such joint enterprises, which allowed huge foreign companies to exploit India’s seafood stocks, were against the spirit of the P. Murari Committee recommendations.

The Murari report, presented to Parliament in 1996, had been accepted by the Central government headed by H.D. Deva Gowda in February 1997. The committee had categorically recommended that no foreign deep-sea vessels be given licence to fish and that joint ventures, in which local companies fronted for large foreign companies, should not be allowed.

The joint deep-sea fishing enterprises had in the 1990s wrought havoc in India’s fishing marine fishing sector.

The Union government had in 1991, as part of the new economic policy and with a view to tiding over the foreign exchange shortage, given licence to hundreds of foreign vessels to fish in India’s waters. Because of the dwindling global fish availability, European, American, Korean, Taiwanese and Thai companies had rushed in to India’s waters with their sophisticated ‘factory ships’ that could catch, process and can several tonnes of fish every day. Such ships had appeared in Kerala’s waters too during 1992-94.

Campaign against policy

Alarmed at the potential of deep damage to India’s fish stocks and the threat to their livelihoods, fish workers launched a long and aggressive campaign against the policy.

Fish workers’ unions in Kerala - Kerala has the largest number of fish workers and it is the State that exports the largest amount of seafood - was on the forefront of the struggle.

Following the long struggle, the Central government constituted the 41-member P. Murari Committee in 1995. The Murari report was comprehensive and recommended to the government to virtually reverse it deep-sea fishing policy.

However, fishing unions say, the UPA government has, through its Marine Fishing Policy 2004, allowed joint ventures to operate. In 2005, over 700 vessels were given licences.

These partnerships were between large Indian companies and multinational European, Japanese and other Asian countries.

The Indonesian vessels currently operating off Munambam are the outcome of the ‘destructive’ Marine Fishing Policy 2004, which was totally against the Murari report, Mr. George said. The fishing unions are determined to drive out the foreign vessels from Kerala’s territorial waters, he said. He said a strong agitation would be launched soon.

He said that the Indonesian vessels might soon be joined by other joint venture ‘mother ships’ which could virtually net away Kerala fish workers’ sources of livelihood.

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