Traditional fishermen to seek total ban on Chinese engines http://www.thehindu.com/2011/01/12/stories/2011011257620900.htm -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ignatius Pereira
KOLLAM: Traditional fishermen will demand a total ban on the use of the high horsepower Chinese engines by fishing vessels at a meeting called by Fisheries Minister S. Sarma in Kochi on Wednesday. President of the Kerala Swathantra Matsya Thozhilali Federation T. Peter told The Hindu that fishing permit should not be given to vessels fitted with engines imported from China. Fishing activity by boats using such engines would drastically deplete the marine wealth. Threat to ecology Mr. Peter wanted the use of these engines in the fishing sector to be declared a threat to marine ecology. Its use would hit the livelihood of those in both the mechanised and traditional sectors. In fact, a good section from the mechanised sector was against the use of Chinese engines. But if the use of such engines kept growing, those at present opposing these engines would also be compelled to use them, he said. Mr. Peter said that while the normal mechanised sector boats used engines with power in the range 100 HP to 180 HP, Chinese engines would have power ranging from 300 HP to 440 HP. Boats using the former category of engines while engaged in trawling would haul nets at a speed of 2.5 nautical miles an hour. But boats using Chinese engines could haul nets at a speed of 4.5 nautical miles an hour. This enabled such boats to engage in bottom, mid-sea and pelagic trawling at high speed. Boats with Chinese engines were engaged in such destructive fishing method and it would prove disastrous. Mr. Peter said as per information available with him, about 500 boats operating from Kerala were using the Chinese engines. Traditional fishermen demanded action against the use of Chinese engines in fishing boats, he said. Government policy Mr. Sarma's office when contacted said the policy of the government was that no kind of fishing activity that prevented rejuvenation of the fish wealth would be permitted. There should not be over exploitation. With this policy in the backdrop, the State government had appointed an expert committee to study the effects of fishing with vessels fitted with Chinese engines. The report of the committee would be submitted shortly and based on it the government would take an appropriate decision, the office said. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To post to this group, send an email to greenyouth@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to greenyouth+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth?hl=en-GB.