The seizure of three fibre boats from other States recently by the Fisheries department off the Kochi coast, despite a 52-day trawling ban from June 9 midnight, has prompted the Matsya Mekhala Samrakshana Samiti to demand a ban on even small boats from other States fishing off the Kerala coast. Fisheries department sources said these boats had been seized recently with the department and the coastal police keeping a strict vigil on fishing activities during the days of trawling ban.
Even these small boats are exploiting the marine resources off the Kerala coast while the fishing sector in the State is in dire straits, said Sherry J. Thomas, general convener of the Samiti.
Department sources said that the catch in these boats were seized but boats from other States had no legal hurdles to operate off Kerala coast. These boats were asked to discontinue their operations to avoid a tense situation with the local fishers and to avoid a law and order problem.
