[Reader-list] Fwd: Trawling ban: Government nixes panel report

[T Peter]

Trawling ban: Government nixes panel report

http://newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/Trawling-ban-Government-nixes-panel-report/2013/05/31/article1613579.ece

By Arun Jayan | ENS - THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

31st May 2013 11:59 AM

The State Government will not implement the recommendation of the
expert committee to extend the period of the trawling ban from 47 days
to 75 days, this year. Fisheries Minister K Babu said that the
conventional trawl ban would be carried out this year which would
begin from June 14 midnight.

The nine-member expert committee, constituted by the government to
evaluate fish wealth and the impact of trawl ban along the Kerala
coast, in its report had recommended that the ban should be extended
from 47 to 75 days, starting from June 18 to August 31. The Fisheries
Minister told Express that the recommendations of the expert committee
would not be implemented this year as the fisherfolks in the state
have to be taken into confidence before implementing the
recommendation. “This year the trawl ban of 47 days starting from June
14 midnight will be carried out. A meeting with all major stakeholders
in the fisheries sector is scheduled on June 11 to discuss the ban,”
he said. The Minister said that in the last meeting held with various
union leaders in the fisheries sector, the expert committee report was
discussed in detail. “The government invited their suggestions on the
report. Their suggestions will be discussed and presented before the
co-ordination committee that has been constituted. The suggestions
will be incorporated in the expert committee report. No decisions will
be taken on the report without taking the fisherfolks in the state
into confidence,” Babu said.

The expert committee, in its report submitted to the government this
month, had also recommended that the outboard motor and inboard motor
ring seiners should be banned for a period of 60 days from April 1 to
May 30 to protect pelagic spawning stocks. “There will not be any
seasonal fishing ban for non-motorised traditional vessels. The
advantages of such an extension period should be reviewed after three
years by a scientific committee,” the report said. The representatives
of major trade unions and fishing boat operators opposed the
recommendations of the committee forcing the State Government not to
rush with the implementation of the report. The All-Kerala Fishing
Boat Operators’ Association said that the State Government should
reject the report as it lacked scientific backing. However,
fisherfolks from Thiruvananthapuram to Alappuzha welcomed the ban on
the ring seiners as the number of boats being operated here are low
compared to other districts.

T Peter, secretary, National Fish Workers Forum and president of
Swathanthra Matsya Thozilali Federation said that their opinion was to
implement the trawl ban for 90 days “Also the use of the illegal nets
should be banned. The mesh sizes in nets,both in length and depth
should be regularised to protect the fish wealth in the state,” he
said. The expert committee, in its report, had also laid down the
legal mesh sizes for different gears and also the optimum mesh sizes
had been determined for species targeted by gillnets.

 “The optimum mesh sizes and dimensions for all commonly used gears
should be strictly adhered to. The Fisheries Dept should also bring in
restrictions on engine horsepower based on fishing craft sizes,” the
Committee recommended.