The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Fishermen’s concerns conveyed to Centre

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Tuesday, Nov 24, 2009
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Fishermen’s concerns conveyed to Centre

Special Correspondent

Karunanidhi calls for debate on draft Marine fisheries bill

M. Karunanidhi

CHENNAI: Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi has conveyed to the Centre the apprehensions of fishermen in the State over certain provisions of the draft Marine Fisheries (Regulation and Management) Bill, 2009.

In a letter to Union Minister of Agriculture, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution on Thursday last (copies of which were released to the media on Monday), Mr. Karunanidhi sought a wider debate before the Centre brought an “inclusive and progressive” legislation on the subject.

“Wider implications”

As fishing activities in the Palk Bay area had already been affected due to “harassment of fishermen by Sri Lankan navy,” and marine fish production exhausted in territorial waters, introduction of the legislation, without consulting fishermen and other stakeholders, would have “wider implications.”

According to fishermen, the proposed penalty clauses were severe and the conditions stipulated for fishing beyond 12 nautical miles (NM), impractical.

In this context, the Chief Minister pointed out that the Marine Fishing Regulation Act and its rules were being implemented in almost all maritime States, including Tamil Nadu.

Though the State government had already communicated its remarks on the draft Bill, “it appears that the same have not been incorporated.”

The stipulation on any Indian fishing vessel requiring a specific permit for fishing in any maritime zone outside the territorial waters implied that fishermen who were issued fishing licences to operate within the territorial waters of the State would not be allowed to fish beyond 12 NM without getting another licence under the proposed law.

Since fishery resources in the inshore area had been almost completely exploited, the fishermen who had benefited by the motorisation scheme (under the Centrally sponsored scheme) and mechanised fishing craft (below 15 metres overall length) were venturing into the sea beyond 12 nautical miles for exploiting the under-exploited offshore fishery resources, he said.

The clause in the draft Bill would pave way for duplication of the licensing system. It was also not practically possible to prevent physically fishermen from fishing beyond 12 NM in the absence of clear-cut geographical zoning, Mr. Karunanidhi argued, suggesting that deep-sea fishing vessels registered under the Merchant Shipping Act/Mercantile Marine Department alone be covered.

Vociferous protest

As for the clause on offences and penalties, the Chief Minister said the fine of Rs.9 lakh proposed for any vessel fishing without permit beyond territorial waters had generated vociferous protest from fishermen as no fishing boat could fish even in the Indian waters beyond 12 NM.

This was against the schemes being implemented by the Union and State governments for encouraging fishermen to tap the under-exploited offshore resources for commercial species including Tuna, he added.

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