A Perspective on Vizag
Bandh move to curtail the fishermen to fish in Exclusive Economic Zone
Visakha City, February 24, 2010
Perturbed over the move to curtail their freedom to fish in Exclusive Economic Zone by the government through a new legislation, the fishing industry will observe a nation-wide bandh on Thursday. Traditional and mechanized boats and trawlers will not venture into the sea to register their protest against Marine Fisheries (Regulation and Management) Bill, 2009 in response to a call by AUFU and Industries and Federation of Indian Fishery Industries.
Andhra Pradesh Mechanized Boat operators’ Association president P Ch.Appa Rao and Dolphin Boat Operators’ Welfare Association general secretary Ch Satyanarayana Murty extended their support to the bandh and said the new legislation would deprive them of their right to fish in Exclusive Economic Zone. EEZ is located within 12 to 200 nautical miles from the shore. Territorial water is within 12 nautical miles, it is considered international waters.
According to the new legislation, licence is necessary to fish in EEZ and the government will decide where to fish and what to fish. Fishermen feel that this is an infringement of their right to fish wherever they want. FIFI president YGK Murty and AIFI honorary secretary D Babu Rao speaking to media on Wednesday said that the new legislation was aimed at favor Letters of Permit vessels. They said foreign owners were running the Letters of Permit vessels by floating an Indian company with some Indian parties.