Under the new Act, fishers must get a second license to fish in waters beyond the 12 nautical mile line. (Photo: T. Engoe)

Fishers criticise Marine Fisheries Act

INDIA
Tuesday, November 24, 2009, 21:50 (GMT + 9)

Fishermen and state governments are standing up to the draft version of the Marine Fisheries (Regulation and Management) Act 2009, which would regulate fishing activities in the exclusive economic zone beyond territorial waters

Officials of the Indian states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala particularly oppose the Act. Its critics especially criticise the Act's stipulations that special permits to fish beyond territorial waters be granted and the severity of violation penalties.

The new legislation is designed to meet European Union (EU) requirements for responsible fisheries. The European bloc is India’s major market for seafood, in accounting for over 30 per cent of total Indian seafood exports.

In a letter to Union minister for agriculture, consumer affairs, food & public distribution Sharad Pawar, Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi has called for initiating a broader consultation process and to take into consideration the views and suggestions of all the State governments, fishermen community and other stakeholders before finalising the Bill, The Financial Express reports.

The fishermen are against the provision in the draft Bill which stipulates that "any Indian fishing vessel shall require a specific permit for undertaking any fishing activity in any maritime zone outside the territorial waters."

Under the new Act, fishermen with fishing licenses to operate within state territorial waters must get a second license to fish in waters beyond the 12 nautical mile line.

Since the fishery resources in the inshore area have been almost completely exploited, fishermen with mechanised fishing crafts have been venturing into the sea beyond 12 nautical miles in order to exploit offshore fisheries.

“The above clause in the draft Bill will pave way for duplication of licensing system and create confusion and compound the misery the fishermen community is going through now. It is also not practically possible to prevent physically the fishermen fishing beyond 12 nautical miles, in the absence of clear-cut geographical zoning," Karunanidhi has pointed out.

The chief minister has proposed that “only deep-sea fishing vessels registered under the Merchant Shipping Act/ Mercantile Marine Department (MMD) alone be brought under the above clause."

The penal provisions proposed for vessels fishing beyond the 12 nautical miles are “heavy and harsh."

Such straying of vessels beyond the stipulated limit is allowed up to two times within each period of three consecutive months.

By Denise Recalde
editorial@fis.com
www.fis.com