Nearly two years after the Madras high court took suo motu note of a TOI report on en masse killing of Olive Ridley turtles by fishing trawlers, and six weeks after Tamil Nadu government banned fishing activities within 5 nautical miles, a fishermen’s forum has moved the court to quash the rule. (One nautical mile is equal to 1.8km). It was on January 20, 2015 that the Chennai edition of TOI published an article – Murder most foul: 35 turtles washed ashore – highlighting the turtle deaths along the Chennai coast caused by trawlers and bad fishing practices. After being nudged by the court, in addition to a series of directives, turtle conservation measures, including installation of a turtle exclusion device, GPS and fair fishing practices, were introduced. The first bench of the court also appointed an amicus curiae to study the issue and assist the court. On September 27, the Tamil Nadu government came out with a notification banning fishing by mechanised fishing vessels, motorised country craft and those using mechanised fishing techniques within 5 nautical miles of potential nesting and breeding sites of Olive Ridley turtles, identified by the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute and the Department of Forest on the coasts of Chennai, Cuddalore, Villupuram, Nagapattinam, Ramanathapuram, Tuticorin and Kanyakumari districts for four months from January 1 every year. Assailing the order, the South Indian Fishermen Welfare Association filed the present PIL stating that its members used country boats, catamarans and mechanised fishing vessels. “As the GO prohibits fishing in almost the entire coast of Tamil Nadu, about seven lakh fishermen and their families would be pushed into starvation and poverty.” The association, represented by its founder-president V Sankar of Royapuram, further said country boats, catamarans and traditional boats were small in size measuring lesser than 15 metres with less than 25 horse power motors. These small boats are incapable of voyaging into the deep sea, he said, adding that their limit was within three nautical miles. Deaths of turtles occur due to injuries caused by huge vessels or after being entangled in nets, he said, adding that small boat owners could not be blamed for such deaths since they do not carry long nets and do not engage in mechanised fishing methods. Blaming Olive Ridley deaths on deep sea fishing vessels, trawlers and mechanised vessels, he said the blanket prohibition directly affected the lives and livelihood of fishermen using country boats and catamarans. The first bench issued notice to the authorities and adjourned the matter to November 28 for further hearing.
2016 Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd.