4 days ago
Fishers' body slams Govt for allowing deep-sea vessels
The All India Deep Sea Fishers' Association has come out against the Union Fisheries Ministry's decision to allow large vessels to operate in deep-sea areas beyond India's sovereign maritime zone.
In a letter to Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying and Panchayati Raj Rajeev Ranjan Singh, the association said the decision will impact the fortunes of small-scale traditional fishing vessels.
Association chief Charles George said the decision to allow Indian-owned vessels in deep sea was part of the Blue economy policy of the Union Government unveiled in 2020. 'We request the Union government… revitalise small-scale and traditional fishermen through modernisation, cooperative strengthening and fair subsidies.''
Urging the government to reject the push for industrial deep-sea vessels, the association said such a move will only worsen ecological and economic crises.
George said as per Central government data, 3,14,677 fishing vessels operate within India's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). 'However, sustainable fishing practices require only 93,287 vessels… Yet, we cannot outright claim that we have crossed sustainability thresholds because we have predominantly small-scale and traditional vessels.''
The body rejected the government stand that allowing large vessels for deep-sea fishing will help tap the hitherto untapped resources.
'Only 4 per cent of India's fish wealth lies in deep waters… due to scarcity in deep waters, these vessels eventually encroach into near-shore zones. Now, with 1.5 to 4 lakh-watt LED lights at the huge vessels attracting fish from coastal waters, the pressure on already strained near-shore ecosystem will intensify… devastate thousands of small-scale boats operating in deep waters, where 64,000 fishermen are working,'' said the association chief.
