India acts against bottom trawling: 

India acts against bottom trawling: 

Context:

• India informed Sri Lanka that it has taken measures to stop bottom trawling by its fishermen in the waters near the Sri Lankan coastline.

What is bottom trawling?

• Bottom trawling is an ecologically destructive practice.
• The practice involves trawlers dragging weighted nets along the sea-floor, causing great depletion of aquatic resources.
• Bottom trawling captures juvenile fish, thus exhausting the ocean’s resources and affecting marine conservation efforts.

What is deep fishing?

• Deep fishing is an eco-friendly practice.
• The activity of catching fish that live in the deep parts of the sea/ocean is called deep-sea fishing.
• It is practiced worldwide, especially in the coastal areas with no ecological damage.

What are the initiatives to prevent bottom trawling in India?

• Recent initiatives taken by the Government of India to end bottom trawling in the Palk Bay area include:
• The launch of a programme on diversification of bottom trawlers into deep-sea fishing vessels for tuna long lining under the Blue Revolution Scheme,
• Construction of harbors like, Mookaiyur and Poompuhar fishing harbors,
• Capacity-building programmes for fishermen of the Palk Bay area in deep sea tuna long lining and
• Fresh registration for bottom trawlers in the Palk Bay area has been banned by the Government of Tamil Nadu.
• India also recently informed that schemes promoting seaweed farming and sea-cage farming have begun in the Palk Bay area to wean away fishermen from deep-sea trawling.

What is Blue Revolution Scheme?

• The Blue Revolution Scheme by the government of India aims to create an environment for integrated development of the full potential of fisheries of the country.
• Along with substantially improvement in the income status of fishers and fish farmers keeping in view the sustainability, biosecurity and environmental concerns.

What are the disputes between India and Sri Lanka?

• The maritime boundary agreements of 1974 and 1976 were concluded by the two governments did not reflect realities on the ground.
• The ongoing dispute has escalated tensions between those fishermen using traditional methods and those using mechanized methods leading to increase in the infringement of territorial boundaries.
• The issue of fishermen straying in each other’s territorial waters has come as a potential irritant in the bilateral relations between the neighboring states.
• There is no well-defined boundary line between the two nations.
• Overuse of mechanized trawlers in the Palk Bay has further Fueled the dispute over Kachchatheevu.

What is the way ahead?

• The solution lies in transition from trawling to deep-sea fishing in India.
• Making the use of trawling technique an offence by the Indian government is another solution.
• Permitting licensed Indian fishermen to fish within a designated area of Sri Lankan waters and vice versa.
• There is an evident need for institutionalization of fisherman in Indian waters by the government of India so that alternative means of livelihood are provided.
• Government needs to mark up a comprehensive plan to reduce the necessity of Indian fishermen on catch from Palk Bay.