The decision to shorten the annual fishing conservation period by Tamil Nadu and Puducherry has left the fishermen of Andhra Pradesh fuming.
Agitated over the decision to venture into the sea from Monday, ignoring the fiat issued by the Ministry of Agriculture for observing a uniform conservation also known as ban from April 15 to June 14 to all maritime States and Union Territory of Puducherry on the East Coast, the Federation of Indian Fishery Industries (FIFI) has dashed off a representation to the Centre seeking its intervention.
In a representation to the Joint Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries, federation president Y.G.K. Murti referred to the development and said though they were following the conservation period as told by the Centre religiously from April 15, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry had violated the GO on conservation last year and repeated the same this year too.
In the representation, he stated that the fishermen from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry had already gone for fishing from Monday, violating the conservation period, putting all the fishermen of the remaining three States (West Bengal, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh) in big confusion, panicky and agitated mood.
When contacted, Dr. Murti told The Hindu that as fishermen had a decisive say in the elections, during the campaign, some parties had promised them to reduce the ban period.
He said: “We strongly oppose this indiscipline and violation of fishing ban period by the fishermen of the two States, and hence request you to take necessary steps to see that the conservation period is observed uniformly by all the maritime States and Puducherry on the East coast, without any violation.”
Dolphin Boat Owners’ Welfare Association president Ch. Satyanarayana Murthy said they were thoroughly upset with the decision and sought the intervention of the Centre to prevail upon all to enforce uniform ban for 61 days.
