Independent fishers’ union Matsya Thozhilali Aikya Vedi on Monday appealed to Fisheries Minister V. Abdurahiman to initiate stringent action against juvenile fishing.
It said there has been an abundance of juvenile sardine and mackerel off the Kerala coast as the rainy season has set in. However, these precious fish are caught and sold for around ₹10 a kg to fishmeal and feed factories. 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 sardine is 10 cm and for mackerel, 14 cm.
Convene meeting
The appeal to the Minister said a meeting of fishermen’s unions and the fisheries management committee, which looked after the welfare of fishers and 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 trawling 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 trawling ban, the catch this time has not been substantial.
