Post-ban, purse seine fishermen seek decision

As fish prices in Mumbai are reaching sky-high levels, fishermen using the purse seine technique have blamed the state government for delaying a decision on the three-month temporary ban imposed by the state itself. The decision has affected the livelihood of 30 lakh people, they have said.

In February this year, the Devendra Fadnavis government stated no new licences will be issued to purse seine nets in order to safeguard the fishing practices in the country as the nets were affecting the numbers of juvenile fishes. However, the community has said that the decision, which they said was taken under the pressure of their traditional counterparts, is nothing but a result of professional rivalry which is affecting 30 lakh people dependent on the purse seine technique of fishing across the state. The three-month-old ban was to be lifted post submission of a report, to be prepared by marine experts appointed by the government.

In February, the government decided to reserve seawaters for 12 nautical miles from Zai to Murud for fishermen using traditional methods for fishing. The decision that was taken for the benefit of the traditional fishermen also banned fishing from Murud to Burundi coasts up to 10-metre depth in the sea and for Burundi to Jaigad up to a depth of 20 metres and for Jaigad-Banda area up to 25 metres. Government officials had said purse seine fishing nets sizes do not allow juvenile fish to escape and ends up depleting the population of the fishes, affecting the entire fishing business. “Our share, across the fishing communities is only 6.6 per cent while traditional techniques like trawl and bag nets have maximum share of around 59 per cent and 24.4 per cent respectively. Meshe sizes of the traditional fishermen are also smaller than that of ours... Even then, we are the ones to suffer these allegations of affecting the fishing business,” said Ganesh Nakhva from Purse Seine Fishermen Welfare Association of Maharashtra.