Fishers demand stringent action against juvenile fishing

Undersized sardines, mackerals caught and sold to fishmeal factories

Independent fishers’ union Matsya Thozhilali Aikya Vedhi has appealed to State Fisheries Minister V. Abdurahiman to initiate stringent action against juvenile fishing.

The appeal said that there has been an abundance of juvenile sardines and mackerals off the coast of Kerala as the rainy season has set in. However, these precious fishes are caught and sold for around ₹10 a kg to fishmeal and feed factories.

The appeal from the fishers’ union said lorries taking loads of juveniles should be brought under strict checks and all fishing activities should be banned for two weeks to prevent catching of juveniles.

The State government has fixed minimum legal sizes (MLS) for more than 50 commercially important species. The MLS for sardines is 10 cm and for mackerals 14 cm.

The appeal to the Minister also said that a meeting of the fishermen’s unions and the fisheries management committee, which looked after the welfare of the fishers and also looked into resource conservation, should be convened immediately to discuss the issue.

There should also be a ban on the use of pelagic nets on boats as part of the conservation measures, the appeal added.

In the meanwhile, the first of the boats that launched fishing operations after 52 days of trawl ban returned to the Kalamukku fish landing centre near Kochi on Monday afternoon with a small catch of threadfin breams. Though the fish variety is caught in abundance immediately after the trawl ban, the catch this time has not been substantial.