Fishermen and boat owners have termed “treason” the recommendations of an expert committee appointed by the Union government to revamp India’s marine fisheries sector following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call in July for a ‘blue revolution’.
“This is a conspiracy to bequeath India’s fisheries resources to foreign monopolies and it amounts to treason,” said All Kerala Fishing Boat Operators’ Association general secretary Joseph Xavier Kalappurackal here on Thursday.
The recommendations of the seven-member committee headed by B. Meenakumari, Deputy Director General of Fisheries, were submitted on August 20.
President of the Visakhapatnam-based Federation of Indian Fisheries Industries Y.G.K. Murthy said the federation rejected the report, which was shaped without consulting the stakeholders. He said the federation would lead a delegation to Delhi to meet the Prime Minister as well as Commerce and External Affairs Ministers.
President of the Matsya Thozhilali Aikya Vedi (forum of fishermen’s unions) Charles George said the State Fisheries Minister should immediately write to the Union government to reject the recommendations of the committee, which were detrimental to the interests of lakhs of fishermen in Kerala.
One of the recommendations in the report that has angered the Indian fisheries industry is the observation that waters beyond 500 metres depth are not optimally exploited.
To achieve optimum returns from these waters, the panel recommends that 1,178 deep-sea fishing vessels be deployed in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), including the existing vessels and additional 270 vessels, split among 240 tuna long-liners; 15 purseiners, and 15 squid jiggers.
Joint venturesThe panel also suggested that joint ventures and transfer of technology be taken up for exploiting the waters beyond the 500-metre depth.
Another recommendation is that comprehensive regulation be brought on the Indian fishing fleet in India’s EEZ. The panel suggested that Indian crew may not be qualified enough to man operations in these waters and that foreign hands be deployed.
“The fact that Indian fishermen are already operating in waters beyond 500 metres and landing catches has been ignored by the committee. This is known even to committee Chairman Dr. Meenakumari,” said Mr. Kalappurackal.
“The panel has chosen to ignore these facts, which calls for an investigation into the background of the experts,” he said.
