n ban on submerged artificial lights, fish light attractors or any other light equipment nCentre’s order with immediate effect
MARGAO
The Centre has finally imposed an uniform ban on LED fishing and bull trawling in the Indian
Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) beyond the territorial waters, with Assistant Commissioner, Fisheries Government of India Sanjay Pandey on Saturday asserting the order issued on November 10 will come into force with immediate effect.
Fisheries Minister Vinod Paliencar and Agriculture Minister Vijai Sardesai were quick to hail the Union Agriculture Ministry's decision, saying the order is dedicated to the traditional fishermen of Goa, who have faced police lathis and struggled a lot to demand a ban on LED fishing and bull trawling.
Sanjay Pandey told media in the presence of Fisheries Minister and TCP Minister here on Saturday that the Centre has prohibited fishing in the Exclusive Economic Zone beyond territorial waters by bull or pair trawling.
He said the order has further prohibited the use or installation or operation of surface or submerged artificial lights/LED lights, fish light attractors or any other light equipment with or without generator on mechanised fishing vessels or motorized fishing crafts for trawling, purse-seining and gill netting operations in the Indian EEZ beyond territorial waters.
The order will be binding on all fishing vessels and their supporting, supply and auxiliary vessels
operating in the Indian EEZ form the day of issue of this order.
Replying to a question, Pandey said the Coast Guard has been requested to take necessary steps to
prevent use of LED light fishing in the Indian EEZ beyond territorial waters. "The order has directed all the maritime States and the Union Territories to take necessary steps to prevent use of LED light fishing within and beyond the territorial waters.
When the media sought to know why the Centre took over a year to ban LED fishing and bull trawling when traditional Goan fishermen had been agitating against the fishing practice for some time, Pandey attributed the delay to the absence of detailed study on the extent of scientific impact on marine resources because of LED fishing. "The order issued by the Union Agriculture Ministry banning LED fishing is a precautionary step taken by the Government of India since reports indicated huge fish catch with the deployment of LED fishing and bull trawling technique", he said.
"This order will ban LED fishing from 0-200 nautical miles. All the maritime States will have no option than to implement the order. The issue was taken up by the Goa government with the Centre", he said.
Paliencar said the fisheries department will implement the order in both letter and spirit. "Fisheries personnel will ensure that no fishing vessel will leave the jetties with power generators and LED lights. Even in the event lights are supplied to the vessels in the water, the coastal police will penalise these vessels as per the law", Paliencar said, while assuring traditional fishermen
that the government will implement the order strictly.
Sardesai thanked the Union Agriculture Minister, Radhamohan Singh for
taking the bold decision as per the request of the Goa government. "The Goa Forward party dedicates this ban to the traditional fishermen, who had faced the police lathis to save the
marine habitat. We stood up for the fishermen community, who were facing the threat of extinction
because of the depletion of marine resources', Sardesai said.
