Kerala Prdesh Congress Committee president V.M. Sudheeran has accused the Central government of trying to hoodwink traditional fishermen by issuing a revised notification on the 61-day uniform fishing ban from June 1.
“While exempting traditional fishers from the uniform fishing ban, the revised notification makes it clear that powered craft cannot be used during the 61-day period. This smacks of an attempt to hoodwink the fishers,” he said here on Thursday. “For the last 25 years, fishing vessels fitted with outboard engines were allowed to go to sea during the 47-day trawling ban when mechanised trawlers and boats with inboard engines remained grounded,” Mr. Sudheeran said.
Kerala Pradesh Matsya Thozhilali Congress president T.N. Prathapan, MLA, said traditional fishermen in Kerala had made the transition to fishing vessels fitted with outboard engines almost 25 years ago.
“As many as 22,000 registered vessels and many more unregistered boats regularly venture out to deep sea from the Kerala coast. The uniform fishing ban will affect the livelihood of these traditional fishers.”
Mr. Prathapan said the Union Ministry of Agriculture had issued the new notification after fishers from Kerala had defied the ban. Terming it as nothing but old wine in a new bottle, he said there was no question of abiding by it.
He added that any attempt by the Coast Guard to enforce the ban would lead to an intensified stir, both on land and at sea.
