Illegal fishing boat seized, 15 TN fishermen arrested

Illegal fishing boat seized, 15 TN fishermen arrested

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, Nov 21,  2012 :The Karnataka Parsin Fishermen’s Association and Mangalore Trawl Boat Fishermen’s Association seized an illegal fishing boat with 15 fishermen on board and presented them to the Pandeshwar police on Nov 20, Tuesday.

 

 

The crew was fishing without any legal documents. The seized boat was accompanied by another boat, which had all the documents in order. Both teams were using illegal methods to catch cuttle fish.

Reportedly, the seized cuttle fish was auctioned off for Rs. 2.5 lakhs.

One of the boats belongs to Varghese Anthony of Varoor and the other belongs to Sainaz.

The two associations had convened a meeting to discuss ways to deal with fishermen using unconventional ways to catch cuttle fish when they got the news that two fishing boats from another state were trying to catch cuttle fish in an illegal manner.

The associations filed complaints with the fisheries department, coastal guards, and the Pandeshwar police, and representatives from all the three departments investigated the issue. Since the crew of one boat did not possess any legal documents, the police took 15 of them into custody. They are all from Volachil, Tamil Nadu.

Trawl Boat Fishermen’s Association President Nithin Kumar, Parsin Association President Naveen Bangera, Chief Secretary Harishchandra Mendon, and others were also present.

Meanwhile, the Malpe Fishermen’s Association called a meeting and urged the fisheries department to take action against illegal fishing and on the use of illegal methods to catch cuttle fish. Although the government has banned using coconut palm trunks to catch cuttle fish, the method is still used in other states.