The Centre has informed the Madras High Court that it has rescinded restrictions imposed on November 12, 2014 for conduct of fishing operations in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
Any registered Indian fishing vessel with fully Indian crew onboard was free to fish in a sustainable manner in the EEZ, it said in a submission before a Division Bench of Justices Vineet Kothari and Anita Sumanth during the hearing of a public interest litigation petition filed by Fishermen Care, a registered association led by L.T.A. Peter Ryan
In an affidavit filed through his counsel L.P. Maurya, the petitioner had pointed out that the EEZ was spread over 23,05,143 km. The restrictions introduced in 2014 had redefined the term ‘deep-sea fishing vessel’ and reduced the overall length of a vessel, falling under the definition, from 20 to 15 feet.
Further, it insisted on every deep-sea fishing vessel obtaining a letter of permission from Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries and voyage clearance from the Coast Guard before fishing in the EEZ, even for commonly adopted fishing methods.
Claiming that 80% of around 72,000 mechanised fishing boats in operation in the country were more than 15 metres long, the petitioner claimed that the restrictions would affect the fishermen adversely and subject them to cumbersome procedures.
After the court was told that the restrictions had been withdrawn, the judges adjourned the hearing on the PIL petition by two weeks to know the Centre’s stand on the second limb of the petitioner’s prayer which was to implement the recommendations of a committee constituted under the chairmanship of P. Murari in 1995 to review deep sea fishing policy.
