Other States - Puducherry   

Marine fishing Bill introduced in UT

PUDUCHERRY: Puducherry government on Tuesday introduced legislation to regulate various aspects of marine fishing such as registration of vessels, issuance of licences to them and enforcing measures aimed at conserving the rich marine resources and their sustainable exploitation, besides maintaining law and order in the sea.

With the passing of the Bill, all Union Territories in the country would have marine fishing regulations.

The Union Territory has a 45-km-coastline in the regions of Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam.

Moving the Puducherry Marine Fishing Regulation Bill, 2008, Minister for Education and Fisheries M.O.H.F. Shahjahan said the legislation was also aimed at protecting the interests of fishermen using traditional fishing crafts.

According to the legislation, the owners or masters of the mechanised and deep sea shipping vessels should engage in fishing beyond three nautical miles from the coastline.

The mechanised fishing vessels should leave the notified place of berth or anchoring only after 5 am and report back not later than 9 pm.

They should remain at the notified place of berth or anchoring till 5 am of the following day.The passing of the fishing vessels through any specified area should not cause damage to fishing nets or tackles belonging to persons engaged in fishing in the specified area by using traditional fishing craft such as catamaran, country boat, canoe or dinghy, in accordance with the provisions of the Act.

The owner of the fishing vessel should submit an application to the authorised officer for the grant of a licence for fishing in any specified area.

The officer, while deciding on granting or refusing a licence, should have to ascertain, among other things, whether the fishing vessel was registered or not and the condition of the fishing vessel including its accessories and fishing gear.

It also laid down that no person, after the Act came into effect, should carry on fishing in any specified area using a fishing vessel which was not licensed.

The licence would be cancelled or suspended after giving a reasonable opportunity of showing cause and being heard if the holder, without reasonable cause, failed to comply with the conditions or had contravened any of the provisions of the Act or any order or rule made under it.

The aggrieved persons could prefer an appeal before the adjudicating officer within 30 days from the date on which the order was communicated to them.

In the next stage, they could also appeal to the three-member-appellate board with a District Judge as chairperson.

All fishing vessels, other than those registered under the Marine Products Export Development Authority Act, 1972, boat building yards, processing plant, ice factory and other industries related to fisheries should be registered under the Act.

Any new construction of fishing boat should also get the approval.

No fishing vessel other than the registered ones should be entitled to apply for licence.

If the registered vessel moved from the area of one port to the area of another port for fishing, the owner of the craft should inform the authorised officer, who registered it, and also the port officer having jurisdiction over the area to which the vessel moved.

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

Stories in this Section

Marine fishing Bill introduced in UT
New guest house in Delhi
Capitation fee: action against colleges sought

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu