Come June 1, there will be silence along the state's fishing jetties as they officially shut their operations as part of a two-month-long fishing ban that is now the norm across the state's west coast. The fishing ban, which has been in place for the last two decades or so, has come to be accepted by the mechanised trawlers in the state and is mainly unchallenged, bringing an annual breather not just for the fishing industry but also for the fish in the sea.
The ban was brought about with a dual objective -- to help the oceans and fish population recover from incessant fishing, as well as from a safety point of view to prevent fishing boats from rushing out to sea despite rough weather conditions and risking lives.
However, the fishing communities have sought several modifications to the ban. While on the one hand, the traditional fishermen have demanded that the ban be extended to 75 days up to August 15, the trawler owners have sought that even during the ban period, they are allowed to trawl for solar prawns that are said to be available only during this time of the year. Undoubtedly, each community is trying to advance its own interest. The traditional fishing community is seeking an extended period of fishing without competition from the trawlers and getting themselves exclusive rights to the solar prawns for the entire season, while the trawlers also want a slice of the pie. Both these demands need to be tempered, and only that which is in the interest of the fish populations needs to be addressed.
It is important to question the logic behind allowing traditional fishermen to fish in the sea during the months when the monsoon throws up some nasty and choppy seas, which can surprise even the most experienced fishermen. In its defence, the state has said that the permission is justified since the traditional fishermen are fishing within five kilometres of the shore. However, such a move is neither justified from either a fish population point of view or a safety perspective. What is needed is a uniform ban across all types -- except shore-based fishing -- in order to avoid allegations of favouritism or bickering between unions of one group, leaving nothing for the other.
At the same time, it is important that the Central government cracks down on illegal fishing in international waters, which has become an all too common problem now. Massive fishing trawlers, especially from countries like China, Vietnam, and other south and east Asian countries, have been trawling the International waters of the Arabian Sea, that in turn, is adversely affecting the fish catch available to local trawlers.
Many of these international fishers use methods banned for local fishermen, including bull trawling, dragnet fishing, LED fishing and other illegal methods. China's illegal fishing fleet is globally notorious for scouring the nations across impoverished countries in the world and depleting fish stocks worldwide. India has yet to wake up to the problem despite evidence that the fleet adversely affects coastal communities across India's west coast.
The fishing ban must not be rendered ineffective by boats from other countries openly defying it, and certainly, it cannot be applied only to local fishermen. The sooner the government wakes up to the problem, the better.
