The last word…
TECHNOLOGY
A new device to check illegal trawling?
What can be done to prevent trawlers operating in areas legally reserved for artisanal fishermen? Quite a lot, it seems, if the research department of Keltron, a Trivandrum-based electronics company has anything to do with the matter.
Keltron offers harbour police until now frequently powerless to enforce the lawa black box which, once installed below a trawler’s bridge, enables verification as to whether the vessel is operating within legal depths.
Based on a relatively simple principle, the device has a builtin echo sounder that triggers a belt when the trawler is fishing at illegal depths, but gives the skipper a reasonable period of time to withdraw his nets before registering a penalty. Penalties recorded over a year are payable when the owner of the vessel goes to renew his fishing license.
This device promises to be a boon to coastal fishermen suffering from illegal trawling in shallow waters. Trade unions and their supporters can now bring pressure to bear on government authorities to introduce similar controls on all trawlers.
For further information, write to the manufacturer:
Mr. Krishna Warrior, Production Engineer,
KELTRON Research Centre, Trivandrum 695001
Kerala State, INDIA.
INDIA
A new law to protect inland fishermen?
A report from Bangalore
The National Fishermen’s Forum of India held a national congress last December. Mr. Raghupathi, Minister of Fisheries in the State of Karnataka, concluded the session by stating that he was preparing a new law to protect the rights of small inland fishermen who ought to be the prime beneficiaries of aquaculture but who so seldom are. Other issues covered included the problem of water pollution by industrial effluents (zinc, mercury, etc.) especially in the Tungabhadra riverfish stock management and the social problems caused by the eviction of thousands of fisher-folk by the construction of new defense installations and space research centres.
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