Country boat fishermen want Palk Bay to be declared as a protected marine zone

MADURAI: Around 60 representatives of country boat fishermen from Ramanathapuram, Pudukottai, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam districts will meet Tamil Nadu fisheries minister on Tuesday with their five-charter demands.
The fishermen leaders levelled charges against both mechanised trawlers and their own fishermen who indulge in “destructive fishing practices” like pair trawling and using purse seine nets and explosives.
Unlike the turn system of fishing followed between Rameswaram and Point Calimere where country boat fishermen carry out fishing four days in a week and trawlers for three days, there is no specific system on the Nagapattinam coast. Powerful engines are used in trawl boats and multi-day fishing is carried out by fishermen in Nagapattinam and Karaikal areas, they said.
The country boat fishermen is demanding that the Palk Bay – being one of sensitive fish breeding area – be declared as a protected marine zone and ban all destructive fishing methods in the sea area.
“Using all destructive fishing gear and practices, the trawl boat fishermen are destroying the marine wealth and traditional country boat fishermen have nothing to sustain their livelihood. We appeal to the government to take a stern action before the issue explodes into violent struggles between two sections of fishermen,” said G Arul, president of country boat fishermen at Pamban.
They want the central and state governments to include them in talks between Indian and Sri Lankan fishermen since they also face the brunt of the Sri Lankan naval agencies.