Fishermen clash again on overuse of ringnets

Visakhapatnam: EXCESSIVE use of ring net to catch fish near the shoreline in Andhra Pradesh is often leading to skirmishes among rival fishermen groups with claims over loss of livelihood due to juvenile fishing.

The clash reported at Peda Jalaripeta in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday leading to burning of five boats is not a solitary incident. Such clashes are reported at periodical intervals from various places in Srikakulam, Visakhapatnam, East Godavari, West Godavari, Prakasam and Krishna districts following which an expert committee was asked to submit a report. The report was submitted to the government about six months ago. The bone of contention among fishermen is mostly traditional using fiber boats with a mesh of less than half inch size.

There are estimated 2.60 lakh fiber boats being used by traditional fishermen. Ring nets which resemble purse seines are used by most of them. Opponents of ring nets say using small size meshes lead to trapping of several species of small fish. During winter, when temperatures in the deep waters rise, vanjiram (seer fish) and konam (mackerel), which are in high demand for their culinary value and price, move towards the shore due to less moisture.

National Fisherfolk Union all India general secretary Arjili Dasu told Bizz Buzz on Wednesday that by using ring nets, only few fishermen can get big fishes in a short time denying the opportunity to others to eke out a living. The mesh size used by them also leads to catching of juvenile fish. He said as a campaigner for sustainable fishing they are seeking a ban on usage of ring nets.

Experts from Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT) and Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) say that there is no unanimity over the use of ring nets in which a rope called purse ring shuts off effectively by encircling once the catch is trapped.

Andhra Pradesh is a key exporter of seafood, mainly frozen shrimp. It is being transformed into an aquaculture hub by promoting Vannamei (white-leg shrimp)-an exotic species.

According to Marine Products Development Authority (MPEDA), the pandemic notwithstanding India exported 11,49,341 MT worth $5.96 billion equivalent to Rs 43,717 crore during 2020-21.

They invariably catch juveniles or sub-adults Ring seines with very small meshes if operated in inshore waters result in catch entirely of juveniles or sub-adults which may lead to growth of overfishing, according to a marine scientist.

He said that the overlapping of fishing ground between ring seines and gill nets is a scenario where both these fishing practices co-exist. Precautionary measures to be followed with strict regulations on mesh size, gear dimensions, size and horsepower of fishing craft and minimum landing size of species caught need to be regulated A mesh size based regulation will be insufficient in case of ring seines.

It may not be prudent to encourage expansion of bulk catching systems like ring seines which might lead to displacement of other traditional fishing systems like gillnets and boat seines. Another issue of ecological concern which may emerge is the capture of juveniles of commercial pelagic fishes when there is a market for juveniles in the fishmeal industry and when there is no regulation on minimum landing size of commercial fishes.

Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT) has given recommendations on minimum mesh sizes for all fishing systems along with length of gear and allowable length of craft versus horsepower along with area/depth of fishing.