The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Ban on fishing from today

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Apr 15, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Ban on fishing from today

Staff Reporter

VISAKHAPATNAM: The fishing ban to enable conservation of shrimp and other marine resources will begin in the entire east coast from the early hours of Tuesday amid utter confusion.

Though the enforcement of the ban has been made compulsory by the State Fisheries Department on the advice of the Ministry of Agriculture, the fishermen are in despair. The duration, which used to be 45 days, has been extended this year. The conservation will be observed from April 15 to June 15.

The Andhra Pradesh Mechanised Boat Operators’ Welfare Association and the Visakha Dolphin Boat Operators’ Association at a joint meeting on Saturday appealed to Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy to restrict the duration to 45 days. However, there is no response as yet. A section of boat operators are also toying with the idea of venturing into the sea on expiry of 45 days as keeping their vessels idle at the fishing harbour would entail a heavy burden on them towards overhauling, painting and maintenance. The workers, particularly the crew, would be rendered jobless.

They have already sought relief in the form of rice and financial assistance towards livelihood as followed in Puducherry. “We are expecting that the response to our appeal will be positive,” P.Ch. Appa Rao and Ch. Satyanarayana Murthy, leaders of the boat operators’ associations, said.

Fishermen were also agitating over enforcement of layoff period for two months in the east coast and 45 days in the west coast while claiming that it would be observed uniformly in both the areas. Defying the ban by any trawler or motorized boat will lead to seizure of the vessel as well as the catch by the Fisheries Department officials.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Andhra Pradesh