The Hindu Business Line : Separate Ministry for fisheries sought

Visakhapatnam, Sept. 10 The Federation of Indian Fishery Industries, formed here on Wednesday with representatives from various States, sought a separate Ministry at the Central level for fisheries and ban on letter of permission vessels operating in Indian waters.

According to Dr Y.G.K. Murthy, president of the Association of Indian Fishery Industries, a meeting was convened here on Wednesday with representatives of different fisheries associations from the nine maritime States to discuss the problems faced by the industry and to initiate steps for the formation of the federation. He said at a press meet that the representatives from all coastal States felt that there was an urgent need for the formation of a Union Fisheries Ministry to address the problems.

“It is unfortunate that the Union Government has not responded to the long-pending demand. At present, issues related to fisheries are being dealt with by six to seven Ministries at the Union Government level and we are always hard put to find solution to any of the problems,” he said.

Delinking from Shipping

Further, according to Dr Murthy, fisheries should be delinked from the Ministry of Shipping, as fishing activity was not in any way related to shipping.

Often, he complained, the Director-General of Shipping, Mumbai, was taking decisions without consulting the fisheries sector but those decisions were having an adverse bearing on the industry.

To avoid such hassles, he said, fisheries should be delinked from the Ministry of Shipping. He cited several such decisions taken by the DG recently.

He also said there should be uniformity of conservation period in the fisheries sector both on the east coast and the west coast. Fishing activity is banned during the period to assist in regeneration, and replenishment, of fisheries resources.

At present, it is for two months (April 15 to June 15) on the east coast and only for 47 days on the west coast from June 15 to July 31. It should be reduced to 47 days on the east coast too, he demanded.

He said the representatives from all coastal States strongly felt the need for the Union Government to act promptly and ban all foreign vessels operating in Indian waters on a letter of permit (LoP) issued by the Union Ministry of Agriculture. These vessels, most of them from Taiwan, were operating under dual registration, in violation of several laws, and indulging in looting of fisheries wealth.

The companies owning the vessels were not registered with the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) and they were concealing the quantity and value of the fish exported by them. “In fact, there is absolutely no control over them and they also pose a serious security threat. The biggest maritime fraud is being perpetrated by thee vessels,” he complained.

Introduction of biometric identity cards for fishermen, installation of vessel monitoring systems in fishing boats, compulsory registration of all fishing vessels were some of the other demands voiced by the representatives, he said. The federation also sought increase in the quantity of duty-free diesel supply to fishing vessels and stringent steps to curb pollution of the seas.

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