Gujarat fishermen have flagged serious concerns over the rapid depletion of marine wealth due to increasing intrusion of their Maharashtra counterparts who, they say, are resorting to an unethical practice of line fishing in the state’s territorial waters. The fishermen associations said that this practice has been rampant for the last two years and around 800 boats are engaged in fishing methods that are dangerous for the marine ecosystem and their business.
Last week, the marine police and the Indian Coast Guard seized six boats of Maharashtra near Veraval but fishermen say these numbers are miniscule. The law doesn’t prohibit fishermen of any state from entering Gujarat waters but the only condition is that they have fish outside 12 nautical miles of the state’s coast. On Feb 8, a meeting of 40 fishermen associations of Gujarat was convened in Porbandar to discuss this issue and escalate it to the government authorities.
Mukesh Pajari, president of Porbandar Fishermen Association said, “There are notifications in force stating that this method of fishing is illegal but no actions are being taken. The number of boats seized is peanuts looking at the sheer numbers that are indulging in this activity. Those caught are released after levying petty penalties. The fishermen claimed that boats from Mumbai and Ratnagiri are indulging in unethical fishing by venturing 12 nautical miles near Veraval, Mangrol, Diu, Porbandar, and Okha.
Tulsi Gohil, president of Veraval-based Shree Kharva Sanukt Macchimar Boat Association, said, “The fisheries department and the collector have powers to take action against the boats indulging in illegal fishing. If they don’t intervene proactively, our coast will become nonfertile for fishing and it will take 20 years for rejuvenation.” “This method is dangerous not only for fish but entire marine life, and it kills any marine creature that comes in their way,” Gohil said.
The associations have also expressed apprehensions of mid-sea clashes if the enforcement agencies don’t take immediate and stringent action. Several years ago, there were incidents of clashes between the fishermen of two states over the same issue. In Oct 2021, 18 Maharashtra boats were seized for line fishing nine nautical miles off the Sutrapada coast. Earlier, the state assembly had also passed an ordinance empowering policemen of sub-inspector rank of marine police stations to seize boats found fishing near the Gujarat coast. The sub-divisional magistrates (SDM) were also given adjudicating powers to slap Rs one lakh fine on the boatowners and auction their catch.