Kerala Swathanthra Matsya Thozhilali Federation has threatened to blockade vessels engaged in pelagic pair trawling.
A statement issued by Jackson Pollayil, general secretary of the Federation, said that pair trawling resulted in large-scale juvenile fish catch harming the interests of traditional fishermen.
He claimed that traditional fishermen had abandoned the practice of juvenile fishing realising the harm it was doing to marine fish resources. The Federation demanded that the State government must step in and use all means under its disposal to end juvenile fishing.
The traditional fishermen’s association has also appealed to those engaged in catching juveniles fishes to end the practice for the long-term sustainability of commercial marine fisheries. The fishermen also said that a group with vested interests was trying to sidestep the regulation brought about by the government to end the practice of juvenile fishing.
The State government had prescribed minimum legal size for fish to be caught and sold on a commercial scale. However, large-scale juvenile fishing has been reported from different parts of the State of late.
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