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Udupi : The Traditional Fishermen’s Association has given the district administration a week’s deadline to stop mechanized fishing with practicing bull trawling in Udupi district. If the association demand not met within seven days, the association will siege district commissioner.

Addressing media persons at Karthik Hotel Hall here on Saturday, October 5, Anand Kharvi, President of Traditional Fishermen’s Association of Byndoor unit said that more than 50,000 fishermen who indulging traditional fishing in more than 5,000 traditional Nadaboats, 450 Troll boats were dependent on traditional fishing in Udupi district. During the fishing season from August to May, the traditional boats indulged in fishing.

Anand Kharvi said that there should need to compulsory ban of unscientific fishing such as bull trawling and fishing using lights done by some mechanized fishing boats. But the both Union government and the State government failed to ban unscientific fishing.

The fishing season normally starts from first week of August. But due to bad weather and some other reasons, the traditional boats had started fishing second week of September. However, some of the bull trawling done by some mechanized boats from Malpe Fisheries Harbour within 12 nautifal miles from the shore.

To a query, Anand said that the association had brought the matter to the notice of Minister of Ports and Fisheries Kota Srinivas Poojary and respective local MLAs. The traditional boats fishing have been existed since several centuries. Our district traditional fishermen using Rani net, Kairampani, Patte Bale, Kanthu Bale etc with traditional fishing boats fishing. But, due to modern system, some of the fishermen are using with modern type of fishing of using lights and other way.

He said that a delegation of the association had met Deputy Commissioner and urged him to take action on unscientific fishing and latter had agreed to it.

The traditional fishing association members had decided to give a week to resolve the said issue and should the administration fail in this regard, the association would lay siege to the office of Deputy Commissioner.

Traditional Fishermen Association officials ChandrakanthKarkera, Manju Billava, Praveen Shreeyan, Laxminaryaya, Suresh Kharvi, Rathnakar Mendon, Hirish Tingalaya and others were present during the press meet.