All is not well with the deep-sea fishing industry, thanks to falling catch, exorbitant rise in operational costs and misuse of Letter of Permit (LoP) guidelines by foreign vessels.
In Visakhapatnam, an important fish landing centre, more than half of total 600 mechanised boats are lying idle at the fishing harbour. About 50 boat owners have put up their vessels for sale almost a year ago but are not finding any takers.
The representatives from various boat owners' associations had contemplated fishing holiday sometime ago on the lines of the crop holiday observed by some farmers of Konaseema.
“Given a chance, we want the annual conservation observed in the east coast from April 15 to May 31 for an extended duration – maybe for two months,” said Dolphin Boat Operators' Association president Ch. Satyanarayana Murthy.
Ironically, in 2009, an order issued by the Ministry of Agriculture enforcing a two-month conservation period led to strong protests. “Now, things have changed and feel that a longer conservation period may brighten prospects of a good catch next season,” he said.
During the annual conservation when sea-fish are not available, the prices of shrimp and other fish caught from rivers, reservoirs and tanks go up.
The LoP vessels operated by Indian registered companies catch tuna.
“As operation of foreign vessels is banned, some firms from Taiwan and other countries indulge in benami registration of their vessels and loot our catch. They engage foreign labour without visa and indulge in tax evasion by not disclosing the correct value of their catch,” said the president of Association Indian Fisheries Industry Y. G. K. Murthi.
Indiscriminate dumping of effluents by industries that have come up all along the coast, unscientific fishing methods and the wanton destruction of mangroves have led to dwindling catch of various fish species.
With conventional fishing turning unviable, several mechanised boats and trawlers are diversifying into tuna fishing. Trawlers were the first to opt for tuna long-liners a decade ago after experts opined that tuna – most sought after in Japan and South East Asia for its high nutritional and medicinal value -- ensures better returns on investment.
Loans with subsidy are being given to trawlers but mechanised boat operators, who spend Rs.3 lakh per boat for diversifying into tuna-liners, are demanding easy finance.
Tuna is a highly migratory species and multiplies fast. In the local market, agents from Tamil Nadu buy it at Rs.25 to Rs.100 per kg depending on the quality and airlift it to Chennai for export.
India exports 39 per cent of its seafood to the European Union, 20 per cent to the United States and 15 to 16 per cent to Japan. Frozen shrimp constitutes a lion's share in the seafood exported from India.
