Trash fish hunt: squad steps up vigil at Beypore, Puthiyappa

The Marine Enforcement Squad has stepped up its coastal patrol following information that fishing boats are being misused to net juvenile fish to be supplied to fertiliser companies in other States.

Accordingly, Beypore and Puthiyappa harbours have been put under the squad’s surveillance.

Fisheries Department officials said the squad had impounded a boat from Beypore on Wednesday which, they claimed, had been used to catch juvenile fish.

Fine imposed

As many as 60 boxes of trash fish were found in the boat, and the boat owner was slapped a fine of ₹1 lakh, the largest penalty on an errant boat owner in recent times.

Two months ago, another boat from Beypore too had been impounded by the squad. The vessel carried around 650 kg of juvenile fish.

Sources in the Fisheries Department said that boat owners were under the impression that enforcement squads were not operational in Kerala following a directive from the government. No such orders were issued by the government, they clarified.

Officials said the impounded boats would not be released to their owners if the fine fixed by the Fisheries Department was not remitted to the government.

The edible stock will be auctioned at the spot, and the amount will be credited to the government account, they added.