The Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday sought Madras High Court to direct the Centre to repeal the guidelines on deep sea fishing issued last November allowing foreign fishing vessels in the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
E Sivagurunathan, additional secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries made the submission in the counter affidavit filed in response to a PIL moved by Fisherman Care Association against the Union government’s guidelines. When the petition came up for hearing, the First Bench, comprising Chief Justice SK Kaul and Justice TS Sivagnanam, expressed its displeasure over the Centre not filing its counter, and imposed Rs 10,000 as cost on the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries, and posted the matter to September 22.
In its PIL, Fisherman Care Association claimed that the new guidelines changed the definition of deep sea fishing vessels, reducing the overall length to 15 metres from 20 metres as prescribed under the original guidelines in 2004.
The association wanted the union government to withdraw the consent given to foreign vessels to conduct fishing operations in Indian Exclusive Economic Zone, and sought for a new fisheries legislation in tune with the recommendations of the Murari Committee report.
2015, The New Indian Express