Fishers, boat owners to protest against fisheries ordinance

KOCHI: The mechanised fishing boat owners and traditional fishermen in the state will launch a statewide agitation demanding the withdrawal of the Kerala Fish Auctioning, Marketing and Quality Control ordinance issued by the state government on September 23. According to the fishermen, the ordinance was issued without conducting a public hearing. 

The boat owners and workers will take out a protest march to the fisheries station at Vypeen in Ernakulam on November 2, demanding the withdrawal of the ordinance. A similar protest will be held in front of the Fisheries deputy director office in Kozhikode on the same day, said All Kerala Fishing Boat Operators Association general secretary Joseph Xavier Kalappurakkal. 

“The ordinance makes it mandatory for the fishing boats to pay 5% of the auction amount as commission to the government. The restrictions imposed on fishing in the name of Covid outbreak have pushed the fishing sector into crisis. The proposal will add to our burden,” said Joseph Xavier. 

The Kerala Swatantra Matsya Thozhilali Union is also planning to launch a protest against the ordinance. 
As per section 4 (5) of the ordinance, “The government can collect an amount not above 5% of the auction amount as commission. This amount will be divided among the auctioneer, Fishermen Cooperative Society, local self-government, fish landing centre, harbour management society, fish market management society and the government.”

However, Fisheries Minister J Mercykutty Amma denied the allegation that the government was trying to steal a share of the fishermen’s earnings. “The government has brought in the ordinance to save the fishermen from the exploitation of middlemen. This has helped improve the income of the fishermen. The auctioneer and harbour management society will get 1% of the auction amount and 1% cent will be collected for fishermen welfare activities. It is the middlemen who are spreading misinformation,” she said. 

Meanwhile, The fishermen have alleged that a few fishing boats in Kollam were involved in paired pelagic fishing which was banned in India.