Tamil Nadu's fishing industry: A tangled net of issues

Depleting sea food resources around Tamil Nadu’s coastline, tightening of fishing parameters by Sri Lanka and anti-poaching actions undertaken by intra and interstate fishermen’s associations, have all resulted in fishing today becoming a profession which urgently requires tighter government supervision and control, according to fishermen’s associations across the state.

While the recent sanction of Rs 280 crore to convert fishing vessels into long-liners under the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Pradhan Mantri Revolution Scheme, may sound as a big amount, it will not diffuse the situation in any way, as there is no dedicated focus on basic issues, according to CR Senthil, General Secretary, TN Fishermen’s Federation.

“The government plans to convert 2,000 trawlers into long-liners, but there is nothing to prevent them from poaching in Lankan waters or increasing their engine power to net huge hauls on the sly,” says Senthil.

With nearly 4,500 mechanised vessels operating out of Thanjavur, Nagapattinam, Karaikal, Pudukkottai and Ramanathapuram districts, in the Palk Bay, tougher and strict controls are now the need of the hour, says K Gopinathan, Ramnad (North) Secretary, TN Kadalora Visai Padagu Meenavar Sangam.

While only 250-horsepower (HP) engines are permitted by government, trawlers have engines of up to 600 HP. The higher power is necessary to tug the heavy loads which land in their huge nets. “The government itself is of the view that permitting higher HP engines will only exacerbate the situation and not reduce it,” Senthil adds.

Read More: A day in the life of a TN fisherman 

Concurring with this, Raghupathy, Honorary President, Chennai Mechanised Vessel Fishermen’s Association, says that in the past, only the Rameswaram fishermen were guilty of using higher HP engines. “Today, we find even fishermen from Nagapattinam and Karaikal following suit, which only adds to the problem,” he says.

FELLOW SWIMMERS: With fish catch along many areas on the TN coast dwindling, fishermen are forced to try their luck off the coast of neighbouring states where they are not welcome. “The Andhra Pradesh government sides with its fishermen and when our boats venture there, they are impounded and released only after payment of hefty amounts. This is common even when many of the crew members on such boats hail from Andhra,” says Raghupathy.

The AP Fisheries department regularly blames “unidentified boats from Chennai” as being the cause for torn fishing nets of local fishermen and when caught, stiff penalties are imposed on Tamil fishermen.

“However, this is not merely an inter-state issue,” says NJ Bose, General Secretary, TN Kadolara Visai Padayu Meenavar sangam.

“Even TN coastal districts impound boats from neighbouring districts, when they damage local fishermen’s nets. They are also fined for the damage caused and the number of days of fishing lost” he adds.

Demanding tough action against erring trawlers, Bose says, “Such actions by a few fishermen give the entire community a bad name. If the Fisheries department conducts surprise checks instead of the mandated checks once a year, it will help identify the culprits and action can then be taken.” 

DRY TEST: Sources reveal that checking of boats is usually done in the office by officials. “There are no physical checks undertaken. If boats are given FC (Fitness Certificates) similar to vehicles on land, then there will some control over boat’s using illegal engines,” say sources.

Raghupathy says “Another way out is to ban mechanised boats in the Palk Bay, which will ensure that there are no problems from the Sri Lankan Navy, as it is the high HP engine trawlers which poach in Sri Lankan waters.” Gopinath adds, “If traditional craft alone are allowed then the present fishing-related problems will come down by half.” According to Bose, “The only district where fishermen face no major issue is Kanniyakumari, because fishermen automatically go in for deep-sea fishing.” He further says, “The deep-sea Mother Carrier Vessel scheme, where a huge mother vessel with facilities for storing ice and fish stays at sea for nearly a month, collecting the catch from smaller fishing boats, has found a good response there.”

Meanwhile, the state government’s amending of the TN Marine Fishing Regulation Act 2016, to exclude traditional boats from the ambit of the penalties proposed for various misdemeanours, has been welcomed by the fishing community. “The Central government starting the Blue Revolution project and including the long-liner scheme, has said the use of GPS is mandatory for mechanised boats” officials say.

ACT AS PER LAW: The amended Act now states that mechanised boats should fish beyond five nautical miles from the shore, while motorised and non-motorised country craft have no such limits. Speaking on condition of anonymity, officials say that checking whether mechanised boats really fished beyond five nautical miles is possible only if the department is also provided with relevant equipment. Presently, officials go on raids on this issue, when there is a hue and cry from country craft fishermen that mechanised boats are trespassing into the area earmarked for the former.

However, this too happens only rarely, as motorised country craft cannot always stick near the shore, but venture into the sea due to lack of catch in their traditional area. Then fishers of mechanised boats cry foul and demand official action. “Hence both sides know this and so they keep quiet till the situation becomes unbearable,” says CR Senthil.

Another common issue is the rider posed by the amended Act, which states that not following the mileage limit by mechanised boats will result in Rs,5000 fine and stoppage of government aid for one year for the first offence, a fine of Rs.10,000 and stoppage of government aid for three years for the same offence committed a second time, and a fine of Rs.15,000 and cancellation of fishing license and total stoppage of all government aid for life for third-time offence.

Officials say that although the amended Act is in force, it will be used only as a last resort, when trouble erupts between mechanised boats and country craft owners. Till then, it is like a Damocles sword hanging over boat owners’ heads, if they transgress.