Crackdown on mechanised boats

  • | Saturday | 30th June, 2018

Since these mechanised boats, each costing about ? 1 crore, unleash terror on high seas and the smaller boats and the country boats have to scurry for safety cover whenever these larger vessels menacingly move fast in the high seas after dusk. Of the 245 boats operating from Thoothukudi Fishing Harbour, only 71 boats are registered and the remaining 174 wide-bodied long boats have been built in violation of the norms. As per the recently revised government norms, the mechanised fishing boats should not be longer than 24 meters and powered by engines with 240 Horsepower. “Since the officials concerned are bribed, they allow these unregistered boats to operate and give diesel subsidy,” admitted a mechanised boat owner. THOOTHUKUDIAfter the agitated country boat fishermen are up in arms for justice, officials attached to Department of Fisheries have apparently started cracking whip against the mechanised boats which have been constructed in violation of norms.

more-in THOOTHUKUDI After the agitated country boat fishermen are up in arms for justice, officials attached to Department of Fisheries have apparently started cracking whip against the mechanised boats which have been constructed in violation of norms. Of the 245 boats operating from Thoothukudi Fishing Harbour, only 71 boats are registered and the remaining 174 wide-bodied long boats have been built in violation of the norms. However, the officials allowed these unregistered vessels also to go for fishing after gleefully giving diesel subsidy running into several crores of rupees to these boats for reasons best known to them. “Since the officials concerned are bribed, they allow these unregistered boats to operate and give diesel subsidy,” admitted a mechanised boat owner. When the country boat fishermen, who face serious threats being posed by these ‘mini ships’ on high seas, revolted against allowing the unregistered ones to operate, the officials asked the violators not to take these boats for fishing. Subsequently, the violators, besides approaching the court for relaxation of norms, appealed to the government and got some sops. As per the recently revised government norms, the mechanised fishing boats should not be longer than 24 meters and powered by engines with 240 Horsepower. Even after the norms were relaxed, registration of more than 65% of the 245 boats is in limbo as these boats, longer than 25 meters – a few boats are 35 metres long - fitted with high power imported engines with 300 HP to 650 HP. “The boats which have been constructed in violation of the norms are longer than 25 meters and are powered by high power imported engines, particularly from China, all ranging from 300 HP to 650 HP. Since these mechanised boats, each costing about ? 1 crore, unleash terror on high seas and the smaller boats and the country boats have to scurry for safety cover whenever these larger vessels menacingly move fast in the high seas after dusk. The officials, who have to ensure the rule of law, should check this problem by not registering the vessels that violate the norms,” said an office-bearer of Country Boats Fishermen Association. When two teams were dispatched on Saturday to measure the length of the boats and the horsepower of the engines fitted in these trawler-like vessels, most of the boats failed to measure up to the prescribed standards. “The teams that commenced the specification measurement since Friday night have so far inspected 50 boats (till Saturday 4 p.m.). All these 50 boats have failed to conform to the State government’s stipulated norms as they are longer than 24 meters and fitted with high power engines. Now, it is up to the Fisheries Department officials and the Collector to take the final decision. These boats should not be registered at any cost,” a senior Fisheries Department official confided. Joint Director of Fisheries, Thoothukudi, Amal Xavier, while admitting the violations in the specifications of boats, made it clear that the boats built in violation of norms could not be registered. “Only after the end of the ongoing inspection, we can arrive at the exact number of boats that have violated norms. We’ll not register the boats if they are longer than 24 metres and powered by an engine with 241 HP or more,” Mr. Amal Xavier told The Hindu.

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