Fishermen’s union seeksthree-month trawl ban

The Kerala Swatantra Matsyathozhilali Federation (KSMF) has demanded a three-month trawling ban during monsoon with strict enforcement of measures to stop juvenile fishing.

The federation slammed the State government’s decision to go for a 45-day ban at a press meet here on Thursday. “Though the Centre has imposed a 68-day ban on deep-sea fishing and restricted boats with engines above 10 HP from the coastal waters, the State is not willing to implement it. It has also allowed big mechanised craft using ring seine nets in 22km of the coastal waters during the trawl ban,” said federation district secretary A. Andrews.

He said though there were rules, juvenile fishing was rampant, causing damage to marine wealth. Huge quantities of juvenile fish was often caught in the ring seine nets which had a smaller mesh size. “Mechanised fishing vessels intentionally trap juvenile fish for supplying it to manure factories. They are destroying any possibility of replenishing the stock and if this continues, there will be a decline in marine wealth within 10 years,” Mr. Andrews said, adding the kappal vallams - boats with engines of high horsepower using ring seine nets - were also causing enough damage. “While the trawlers wipe out the fish stock on the sea floor during the season, ring seine boats do the same on the surface. These practices make survival of traditional fishermen difficult,” he said.

The federation also demanded that the fishermen who operated motorised country boats should be allowed up to 34 nautical miles off the coast.

He also said the federation would launch Statewide stir if its demands were not met.