The Hindu Business Line : `Traditional boats must be allowed to fish in monsoon'

THE Federation of Traditional Fishermen's Organisationof Coastal Karnataka has said that traditional fishing boats fitted with 25 HP outboard engines should be allowed to fish during monsoon.

It said the ban on monsoon fishing should be reverted to the period between June 1 and August 31 instead of June 10 to August 15. The ban should cover all mechanised fishing gears such as purse-seine boats, trawl boats and deep-sea trawl boats.

Addressing presspersons here on Friday, the Honorary President of the federation, Mr Upendra Hosabettu, said the mechanised fishing lobby was trying to stop traditional fishermen, who use boats fitted with outboard engine, from fishing during monsoon.

Though the Government imposed a fishing ban from June 1 to August 31 in 1988, it was revised to June 10 to August 15 in 2001 under pressure from the mechanised fishing lobby, he said.

Justifying the use of outboard engines by the traditional fishermen, he said they were using fibre boats due to the non-availability of wood. Fibre boats are not easy to navigate manually.

Allaying the popular belief that fish breed only during monsoon, Mr Hosabettu said mackerels breed from March to December, sardine from May to December and prawns throughout the year. While the traditional fishermen catch a very small percentage of fish during monsoon (June to August), mechanised boats catch large quantities of these species during the rest of the breeding period.

Mr Hosabettu cited the increase in the number of mechanised boats, use of modern equipment such as fish finders, night fishing, and multi-day and bottom trawling as the main causes for depletion in fish stock.

Urging the Government to consult the federation while framing policies related to the fisheries sector, he said the policies should reflect the needs and aspirations of the fishing community as a whole and not of any single lobby.

Mr Hosabettu demanded that 10 km from the seashore be reserved for traditional fishing as this would provide an opportunity to the traditional fishing community to fish without interference by mechanised boats.

He urged the Government to establish jetties throughout the coast to facilitate traditional fishing. Work on the construction of jetties at Kulai-Hosabettu in Mangalore of Dakshina Kannada district and Kodaeri in Byndoor of Udupi district should be taken up immediately, he said.

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