[Reader-list] More curbs on juvenile fishing in the offing

[T Peter]

More curbs on juvenile fishing in the offing
http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Thiruvananthapuram/
more-curbs-on-juvenile-fishing-in-the-offing/article9317600.ece
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENTi

The government is preparing to notify the Minimum Legal Size (MLS) for 58
marine fish species, under plans to regulate juvenile fishing and check the
decline of marine fish stocks.

Minister for Fisheries J. Mercykutty Amma told the Assembly on Monday that
the government would consider an ordinance, if needed, to notify the
species. Replying to a notice for an adjournment motion moved by Hibi Eden,
she said the notification would be an extension of the regulations on
juvenile fishing already in place for 14 species.

The MLS sets the smallest size at which a particular species can be legally
retained, if caught. It is a fisheries management tool to protect juvenile
fish, maintain spawning stocks, and control the numbers and size of fish
caught.

The Minister said the Marine Fisheries Regulation Act would be suitably
amended to control pelagic pair trawling. The amendment would also cover
the registration of fishing vessels and restrictions on vessel size, engine
power and the dimension and size of fishing nets.

Moving the motion, Mr. Eden said juvenile fishing had gone up to cater to
the increasing demand for fishmeal from prawn farms. Foreign trawlers and
vessels from other States were plundering the juveniles of species such as
sardine, leading to escalating conflict with traditional fishers.

*Decline in catch*

The threat of a fish famine was imminent as stocks of many marine species
had declined. Thousands of traditional fishers were set to lose their
livelihood, he said.

Meanwhile, the Kerala Fishing Boat Operators Association is preparing to
move court against the proposed MLS notification. The association feels
that standardisation of fishing vessels and gear is imperative if juvenile
fishing is to be regulated.

Pointing out that accidental catch of juvenile fish was unavoidable in the
absence of standardisation, general secretary of the association Joseph
Xavier Kalappurackal said the strict enforcement of the ban on catching
different species of juvenile fishes in Kerala had led to uncontrolled
exploitation by vessels from other States.

The National Fishworkers Forum is also demanding countrywide regulations on
juvenile fishing. While welcoming the move to prescribe MLS for more marine
species, secretary, NFF, T. Peter said it would be rendered meaningless if
trawlers from elsewhere were allowed to raid Indian waters.