New central bill to tighten curbs on marine fishing

New Delhi: The Union government is planning to bring in more regulations for the marine fishing sector. A planned Bill envisages central government's licence for all types of fishing vessels in addition to the state registration. It also envisages imposing a special cess aimed at the development of the fisheries sector.

The draft of the Marine Fisheries Regulation and Management Bill, 2019, would be presented in Parliament soon.

Those vessels, including country boats, without licences would be banned as per the planned central legislation. Those boats, heading to the sea without the permit, would be seized and a fine would be slapped on the owner, the draft states.

The central permit would be made mandatory in the coastal zones within the state limits (12 nautical miles, or till 22.22 km).

(Though fisheries in territorial waters are a state subject, the activity in other zones comes under the Union government's purview.)

Only those vessels registered as per the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958, would be given the licence. Vessels without the required standards and foreign ships would not be given the licence, the Bill proposes.

The licence would be suspended or cancelled if safety norms are not followed. Officials would be authorised to inspect vessels at any time and seize those violating the norms. Obstructing the officials’ duty can lead to slapping of fines or even imprisonment.

Power to Coast Guard

The Union Defence Ministry has authorised the Coast Guard to inspect any fishing vessel in the Indian coastal limits and to arrest those in it if any violations were found.

So far, the violators were handed over to the local police.

Move invites protests

The marine vessels from the state have been registered as per the Kerala Marine Fishing Regulation Act. The fisherfolk would now have to bear the additional burden of paying fee for the central registration. The new Act could also lead to disputes between the central and state agencies over checking the vessels.

Opposition parties, including the Congress, have alleged that the central government's move was aimed at helping the corporates and the small boats would not be able to maintain the registration provisions of the Merchant Shipping Act.

Kerala Fisheries Coordination Committee would lead a Parliament march on December 12. Its chairman T N Prathapan, MP, said that the provisions of the Bill are impractical.