The District Fisheries Department officials have impounded four fishing vessels at Sethubhavachatram Fishing Harbour on Saturday on charges of using banned nets for fishing.
According to sources, Assistant Director (AD) (Fisheries) Sivakumar received information that the banned double fold (“irattai madi”) fishing nets were being used in some vessels registered at the Sethubhavachatram Fishing Harbour.
Subsequently, a team of officials led by the AD (Fisheries) conducted a surprise inspection of the vessels at Sethubhavachatram on Saturday afternoon where they have found the banned fishing nets in four vessels registered in the name of Raman, Balakrishnan, Kalimuthu and Murugan.
Subsequently, the officials impounded the vessels and the nets and initiated legal proceedings under the Marine Fishing Regulation Act. The impounded vessels would not be permitted to venture into sea for fishing until the legal proceedings initiated under the Act comes to an end, sources said.