500 unregistered boats are operating in Thoothukudi district

Fisheries Joint Director Amal Xavier inspects country boats at Inigo Nagar Beach in Thoothukudi on Thursday. | Photo Credit: RAJESH N

Fisheries Department officials conducted the annual checking of country boats in the district on Thursday.

 Since the government is giving subsidized kerosene to power the outboard engines fitted in these country boats, officials attached to the Department of Fisheries check these boats for their registration, sea worthiness etc.

 Led by Assistant Director of Fisheries, Tirunelveli, G. A. Bushra Shabhnam, seven teams of fisheries department officials checked country boats, mostly fiberglass boats, in seven fishing villages including Koottapuli, Perumanal, Idinthakarai, Kooththenkuzhi, Uvari, Koottappanai and Kooduthaazhai, all falling under Radhapuram taluk in Tirunelveli district.

 “We checked the boats for their registration, sea worthiness, safety gadgets like lifejackets and the engine number mentioned in the registration certificate. We did not find any major violation during this day-long checking of nearly 1,300 crafts ,” said Ms. Bushra Shabhnam.

 In Thoothukudi, the officials, led by Joint Director of Fisheries Amal Xavier, checked the length, the engine horsepower and communication devices of the country boats besides checking the sea worthiness of the crafts.

 “The district has 3,718 registered country boats in the villages from Vembar to Periyathaazhai. Apart from this, around 500 unregistered country boats are also operating from the district,” Mr. Amal Xavier said.