Taking serious note of mechanised boat fishermen venturing into the sea for fishing, hours ahead of the end of fishing ban period and without obtaining fishing permits, the Fisheries department has charge-sheeted more than 1,100 fishermen cum boat owners, invoking the provisions of Tamil Nadu Marine Fishing Regulation (amendment) Act.
After completing the enumerations of boats which ventured into sea for fishing on the evening of June 15, at least six hours ahead of the end of ban period at midnight, Assistant Director of Fisheries of Rameswaram, Mandapam and Ramanathapuram presented copies of charge sheets to E. Kathavarayan, Deputy Director of Fisheries, the adjudicating officer, here on Wednesday.
Owners of 730 boats from Rameswaram and Pamban, 400 boats from Mandapam and 66 boats from Sozhiakudi in Thondi area have been charged with violating the Tamil Nadu Marine Fishing Regulation (amendment) Act, officials said. The adjudicating officer would summon the owners after sending individuation notices to appear before him in the coming days, they said.
After hearing from both the sides, the officer would fine the boat owners if the charges were proved, they said. The adjudicating officer could ban them from fishing for a couple of days, impose fine amounts or cut the diesel subsidy as per the act. However, he might not be harsh on the fishermen and let them off with warning or imposing minimal fine amount, officials said.
Fishermen leaders said the fishermen had ventured into the sea after learning that their counterparts in Pudukottai district had already set sail. The fishermen who had been abstaining from fishing during the 61-day long ban period, could not afford to miss the ‘first day catch,’ the leaders said and requested the adjudicating officer to consider their case sympathetically.
Meanwhile, on the direction of Collector K. Veera Raghava Rao, the department officials held talks with export companies in a bid to resolve the price fixation issue. After the fishermen returned with huge first day catch of prawns on June 16 morning, the two Mandapam-based and four Thoothukud- based companies had procured the catch either by offering low price or without quoting the price.
