Fisheries Department here will intensify action against mechanised fishing boats operating in waters flouting rules marking zones that are prohibited for them to do fishing.
In view of complaints from traditional fishermen using traditional crafts, the Fisheries Department officials with powers to impound the boats that violate the rules under the Kerala Marine Fishing Regulation Act (KMFRA) have already begun the operation with the support of the Marine Enforcement Wing (MEW) to seize the boats that are found to be fishing within the prohibited zone close to the shore. Under the instruction of the Fisheries Department officials here, the MEW impounded five mechanised boats on November 7 fishing in waters close to shores in Mattul and Padanna.
“As per the KMFRA, the mechanised boats using trawl nets are prohibited to do fishing operation within 12 nautical miles from the shore,” said Assistant Fisheries Director K. Ajitha.
All the boats impounded on Tuesday by the MEW patrolling team were found fishing in waters hardly 1.5 nautical mile from the shore, she informed. One of these boats, registered in Karnataka, was also found to have paid no user’s fee to the Fisheries Department for fishing in Kerala coast and using the fish landing centre here, she added.
Fisheries officials said that they have got several complaints from traditional fishermen about mechanised boats at sea close to the shore. Such illegal fishing activities by mechanised boats using trawl nets close to the shore are depriving the fishermen in traditinoal crafts of their livelihood.
Patrolling would be intensified in the coming days, the officials said. Many mechanised fishing boats registered in the neighbouring Karnataka State are operating from the Azhikkal fishing harbour, they said. Action would be taken against such boats if they had not paid the user’s fee, they added.
Colour coding
The officials also informed that the all the 254 mechanised fishing boats registered in the district had complied with the mandatory colour coding. For boats registered in the State, hull should be painted deep blue and wheelhouse orange. They also said that nearly 70 per cent of 74 inboard engine crafts had also done the mandatory colour coding. Notices were served on the owners of the remaining boats to abide by the colour coding directive, they said.
