Ahead of fishing ban period repeal in Tamil Nadu, officials inspect mechanised boats to ensure seaworthiness
The annual inspection is usually held during the period of ban on deep sea fishing by mechanised boats along the East Coast of Tamil Nadu.
Fisheries Department officials inspecting mechanised boats anchored in Thoothukudi harbour on Tuesday
MADURAI: Teams comprising officials from the Department of Fisheries conducted inspections required to ensure seaworthiness of mechanised boats in parts of Thoothukudi district on Tuesday.
The annual inspection is usually held during the period of ban on deep sea fishing by mechanised boats along the East Coast of Tamil Nadu. The ban came into force from April 15. The 61-day ban enforced by the government through the Fisheries Department was aimed at facilitating the breeding of fish and the conservation of fish stock in marine ecology, sources said.
During the survey at Thoothukudi fishing harbour, where the mechanised boats remain anchored, a team conducted physical verification across the length and breadth of every boat. Around 70 boats among the 266 fleet at the fishing harbor were bigger than usual size and such bigger boats would have ‘one-time registration.’
Normally, a mechanised boat is 24 meters in length as per Tamil Nadu Marine Fishing Regulation Act, 1983. The team also verified registration books to check whether the boats are in use or sold out. In Kanniyakumari district, there are around 560 bigger boats, sources said.
According to RJ Bosco, secretary, Thoothukudi Mechanised Boat Owners Association, the officials conducted mandatory verifications of registration books of boats, Aadhaar cards of boat owners, books being maintained by the owners registering the purchase of subsidised diesel and checked about insurance coverage. Each of the mechanised boats was provided with 1,800 litres of subsidised diesel per month, he said.
A total of 18 teams inspected 266 boats in Thoothukudi fishing harbor, 243 boats at Tharuvaikulam and 40 boats at Vembar in Thoothukudi district, sources said.
T Vijayaraghavan, Assistant Director, Thoothukudi Fishing Harbour, Bushra Shabnam, Assistant Director of Fisheries, Tiruchendur and others were among those who undertook the inspections.
