A patrolling team of the Marine Enforcement unit attached to the Fisheries Station here seized two mechanised boats found fishing in waters close to the coast at Padanna in Kasaragod on Thursday.
The patrolling team led by Assistant Director of Fisheries K. Ajitha seized the mechanised fishing boats that were found fishing in the waters inshore off Padanna coast at a depth of three fathoms.
Under the Kerala Marine Fisheries Regulation Act, mechanised boats should not engage in fishing in waters having a depth of less than 10 fathoms, the officials said.
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The inshore waters with a depth of less than 10 fathoms are reserved for traditional fishing craft.
The Marine Enforcement unit identified the seized boats as Nithyananda owned by Abdul Hakeem and Fathima owned by Mariyumbai. The seized boats were taken to the Azhikkal fishing harbour near the Coastal police station.
The Marine Enforcement personnel said that the boats were found to be using fishing nets with mesh size of 12 mm.
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Under the Act, mechanised boats are not allowed to use nets with a mesh size of less than 35 mm.
Complaints
When contacted, Ms. Ajitha said that the Fisheries Department had received lot of complaints from fishermen in the area that mechanised boats were fishing in territories barred for them. She also said that use of fishing nets with smaller mesh size could catch even juvenile fish.
The Marine Enforcement personnel here said that the seized fishing boats did not have proper fishing licence. If found guilty, the owners of the boats could be fined Rs.1 lakh each and faced cancellation of registration of boats.
Marine Enforcement Sub Inspector in charge Shinil V. and Civil Police Officer Sameer Ali as also the crew of the patrolling boat were involved in the patrolling operation.
Boats were using nets below 35-mm mesh size
Seized boats didn’t have proper fishing licence