Indiscriminate rise in bottom trawling in Andhra Pradesh coast has led to depletion of catch at an alarming level and various quarters have made their demand to impose ban on such type of fishing louder. Network for Fish Quality Management and Sustainable Fishing (NETFISH) State coordinator P. Hanumantha Rao said bottom trawling had become a serious issue and they had been trying to sensitise fishermen to use square mesh cod ends.
Mr. Rao told The Hindu on Thursday that square mesh would allow several unwanted and juvenile fish as well as sand to escape through gaps where as in diamond mesh cod ends, very popular in most parts of India, there was no route to find a way-out. He said square type fish would also prevent the extent of dragging thereby increasing the speed of the boats saving a lot of fuel. In bottom trawling fishing, the net is spread along the seafloor to catch shrimp, other fish like halibut and sole. The nets also capture other unwanted fish as well as juvenile fish which are thrown back into the sea. The nets drag across the seabed destroying seafloor habitat and nesting grounds. They also drag sand along with the captured fish. Association of Indian Fishery Industries (AIFI) president Y.G.K. Murty said Gujarat had already taken the initiative and now it was the turn of AP to follow suit.
In a letter to Principal Secretary, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries, Manmohan Singh, Dr. Murty stressed the need to strictly ban the eco-destructive bottom trawl fishing to conserve the marine species for sustainable resources. The topic has been discussed at various fora related to sustainability of marine resources. Bay of Bengal Large Marine Eco System (BOBLME) has recommended bottom trawl fishing recognising the fact that it is destroying the critical habitat such as sea corals and sea grass. “In spite of the alarming situation of depleted marine catches, due to the eco destructive bottom trawl fishing, no action is initiated by the authorities and there is no proper Control.”
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“The fish landings are reduced and the fishermen are incurring heavy loss. “Most of the fishing boat operators are in financial crisis due to the dwindled fish catches ,” he told Dr. Singh.