19-07-2025
Fishers raise concern over Centre's move
The All India Deep Sea Fisher's Association has expressed concern over the Union government's move to permit large vessels owned by Indian companies to operate in deep-sea areas beyond the country's sovereign maritime zone.
'While this privilege is reserved for Indian entities, the move raises significant concerns, especially in the light of the meeting convened by the Fisheries Ministry on June 11,' said Charles George, president of the association, in a letter to Union Minister for Fisheries Rajiv Ranjan Singh.
The government said that allowing large vessels would enable deep-sea fishing to tap the hitherto untapped resources. However, only 4% of India's fish wealth lay in deep waters. Catching these scattered resources required massive fuel expenditure, making it economically unviable.
Mr. George said large vessels eventually encroached on near-shore zones due to scarcity in deep waters. At the time, 1.5 to 4 lakh-watt LED lights were attracting fish from coastal waters, further intensifying pressure on already strained near-shore ecosystems. This, he added, would impact thousands of small-scale boats operating in deep waters.
The association has urged the Centre to revitalise small-scale and traditional fisheries through modernisation, cooperative strengthening, and fair subsidies. It also called for rejecting the push for industrial deep-sea vessels, which will only worsen ecological and economic crises.
