[Reader-list] Traditional fishermen to seek total ban on Chinese engines

[T Peter]

Traditional fishermen to seek total ban on Chinese engines
http://www.thehindu.com/2011/01/12/stories/2011011257620900.htm
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Ignatius Pereira

KOLLAM: Traditional fishermen will demand a total ban on the use of
the high horsepower Chinese engines by fishing vessels at a meeting
called by Fisheries Minister S. Sarma in Kochi on Wednesday.

President of the Kerala Swathantra Matsya Thozhilali Federation T.
Peter told The Hindu that fishing permit should not be given to
vessels fitted with engines imported from China. Fishing activity by
boats using such engines would drastically deplete the marine wealth.

Threat to ecology

Mr. Peter wanted the use of these engines in the fishing sector to be
declared a threat to marine ecology.

Its use would hit the livelihood of those in both the mechanised and
traditional sectors.

In fact, a good section from the mechanised sector was against the use
of Chinese engines.

But if the use of such engines kept growing, those at present opposing
these engines would also be compelled to use them, he said.

Mr. Peter said that while the normal mechanised sector boats used
engines with power in the range 100 HP to 180 HP, Chinese engines
would have power ranging from 300 HP to 440 HP. Boats using the former
category of engines while engaged in trawling would haul nets at a
speed of 2.5 nautical miles an hour.

But boats using Chinese engines could haul nets at a speed of 4.5
nautical miles an hour. This enabled such boats to engage in bottom,
mid-sea and pelagic trawling at high speed.

Boats with Chinese engines were engaged in such destructive fishing
method and it would prove disastrous. Mr. Peter said as per
information available with him, about 500 boats operating from Kerala
were using the Chinese engines.

Traditional fishermen demanded action against the use of Chinese
engines in fishing boats, he said.

Government policy

Mr. Sarma's office when contacted said the policy of the government
was that no kind of fishing activity that prevented rejuvenation of
the fish wealth would be permitted. There should not be over
exploitation. With this policy in the backdrop, the State government
had appointed an expert committee to study the effects of fishing with
vessels fitted with Chinese engines. The report of the committee would
be submitted shortly and based on it the government would take an
appropriate decision, the office said.