Marine scientists have called for a pan India ban on catching trash fish, including juveniles, to conserve the marine environment as well ensuring sustainability of commercially important marine species.
A senior marine conservationist said trash fish or bycatch used to be dumped back into the sea in the past because they were considered unfit for human consumption. However, there is considerable increase in the volume of bycatch because of the growing demand for fishmeal in the country to sustain mostly shrimp aquaculture.
Trash fish and juveniles are sold to fishmeal factories that operate mostly in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Some have even sprung up in Kerala recently, said senior marine scientist Sunil Mohammed. He added that fishers were now known to be making exclusive attempts to net trash fish on their normal fishing trips. He said trash fish fetched between ₹25 and ₹30 a kg. Dr. Mohammed said most of the trash fish was caught close to the shore though there had been a general policy not to allow trawling within the 12 nautical-mile offshore area.
Exclusive expeditions for trash fish are not viable, said Joseph Xavier Kalapurackal of Mechanised Boat Owners Association. He added that fishers were keen to catch trash because it is highly remunerative. Fishmeal factories pay them upfront, and with diesel cost and other expenses spiralling, fishers find some solace in the bycatch.
Charles George of Matsya Thozhilali Aikya Vedhi, an independent union of fishers, said trash fish catch was an issue that dogged the fishing sector. “We are killing the goose that is laying golden eggs,” he said about catching juveniles. He said trash fish catch appeared to be growing because commercially important fish catch had dropped steeply. The problem is more severe during the summer months between December and June.
There is a perceived rise in trash fish catch off the coast of Kerala because the State had amended the Marine Fisheries Regulation Act to implement the provision for minimum legal size for 58 species of commercially important species. The law stipulates that only fish that have achieved a minimum body size can be caught and sold. Violation results in fines as well as seizure of fishing boat and gear.
Conservationists said trash fish did not fall strictly within the purview of juvenile fish and catching it is legal. With juvenile catch off the coast of Kerala being penalised, there is a push to catch trash fish.
However, trash fish forms an important part of the marine flora, and unbridled catch can upset the marine food chain and food web and can in turn affect commercially important species. Scientists have called for at least a pan South Indian States cooperation on the issue of both juvenile fishing and trash fish catch because fishing operations are not curtailed by State borders. Pan India legislation is the ideal that should be achieved for effective conservation of marine resources.
