Juvenile fishing causing unease among traditional fishers
The Hindu
Protest action planned on October 11
Juvenile fishing, mostly for fishmeal factories, off the coast of Kerala continues to cause unease in the fishing community, and the newly constituted fishers’ forum, Matsya Thozhilali Samyukta Samiti, has called for a protest action on October 11.
Though the State government had notified the minimum legal size (MLS) for 14 commercially important fish species in July 2015, traditional fishers and most boat owners have complained of some trawlers resorting to destructive practices, including pair or bull trawling. Pair trawling involves using two boats to pull a massive net that trawls through the entire depth of the sea, catching juveniles as well and causing immense damage to the sea floor.
While Fisheries Department sources said it had been taking stringent action against destructive practices, including juvenile fishing and destructive trawling practices, they called for creating awareness among fishers.
In 2021, five women from Mayithara, four of them MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) workers, found a common ground in their desire to create a sustainable livelihood by growing vegetables. Rajamma M., Mary Varkey, Valsala L., Elisho S., and Praseeda Sumesh, aged between 70 and 39, pooled their savings, rented a piece of land and began their collective vegetable farming journey under the Deepam Krishi group.