Behind the fishing lines

AS THE May 7 deadline for the review ofthe Deep Sea Fishing (DSF) policy by theP Murari committee drew closer, theleaders of India's 80 lakh-strong traditional fishing community built up atempest against megascale joint ventureDSF projects. Sit-ins and rallies were heldfrom Paradip to Delhi. On May 2,Thomas Kocherry, convenor of theNational Fisheries Action CommitteeAgainst Joint Ventures began an indefinite hunger strike at Porbandar inGujarat. The slogan was a single-edgedblade: "Cancel all licenses issued to thejoint venture deep sea fishing vessels."

The Murari committee report willbe instrumental in deciding the futurecourse of fishing in Indian deep waters.This territory is enviously sought after,particularly by multinational fishinggiants 'suffering from the shock of massive stock depletion from over-fishing .The committee was set up inNovember 1994 after a countrywide agitation in which fisherfolkand their traditional rivals, thesmall, mechanised boat operators,clubbed together to harry the larger foreign trawlers from the IndianExclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

Now, the -National Fishworkers' Forum's (NFF) trepidationstems from the fact that since it isnot represented on the DSF reviewcommittee, its concerns might besidelined. "Once the recommendationsare made and implemented, it would betoo late," says A J Vijayan, NFF's Delhispokesperson.

The face-off has slowly been turningblue around the gills ever since the government announced its new DSF Policyin 1991, encouraging 100 per centexport-oriented joint venture projectsand the leasing of foreign vessels forfishing as well as for resource testing inthe Indian EEZ. Reportedly, 170 licenceswere issued. Says P Issar, joint secretaryin the ministry of food processing,defensively, "Only 36 vessels are inoperation now. No new licences arebeing issued." The minister of state forfood processing, Tarun GogoL revealedin Parliament that the number of foreign flag vessels had come down from75 in 1991 to 16 in 1994.

The NFF's argument and that of theorganisations representing small, mechanised boat operators is that seawater,up to 320 krn from the shoreline, cannotwithstand the megascale resourceexploitation by vessels over 20 m inlength. Says Kocherry, "Give incentivesto our own small mechanised boats togo offshore. Why should we subsidiselargescale exploitation by foreigners?"

The Murari committee holds thekey. The Indian EEZ is seen as a goldmine. The government estimates aresource potential of 1.69 milliontonnes in Indian seas deeper than 50 m.The Marine Products ExportsDevelopment Authority (MPEDA)assures a profit between us $500 million- I billion, provided at least half the"readily exploit-able resources" liketuna, sharks, perches, cephalopods and deep sea lobsters and prawnsare exploited.

A ministry-appointed study grouphad recommended a massive inductionof 2,630 vessels in the Indian EEZ.Gogoi's ministry, afraid that such a bigscheme might be driven by adventurism, turned it down. On December 15,1994, he assured the Lok Sabha, "In fact,the target for the 8th Plan in this respectis only 200 vessels."

The NFF points out that the EFZ'S fishwealth claims are tall, and megascalepiscine exploitation will not be sustainable. There are also genuine fears thatbigtime operators will flout norms.Warns Kocherry, "Deep sea fishing vessels enter coastal waters in pursuit ofmigrating fish shoals. This means trouble f9r traditional fisherfolk."

A Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) study done for the government -of India in April 1992 also questioncd the viability of foreign trawling:"Theiforeign operators are primarilyseekifig quick and highly lucrativeresults... They may therefore leave theEEZ without having demonstrated anything positive for the local entre.'freneurs." The FAo report notesthat in the early part of the '90s, arapidly increasing number ofdeepwater trawlers operating offthe Andaman and Nicobar coastsled to a sharp drop in lobstercatches.

FAO consultant M Giudicellialso noted that the boat leasingsystem can often introduce vesselstoo big, too powerful, too costly ortoo old for local conditions.Giudicelli diagnosed that "the invest-ment of Rs 3,750 million for the DSF fleetwas not economically productive ... Thepriority need is resource management."

The government has yet to come upwith a sustainable fishing programmeinstead of tired and vague promises.Says Gogoi, "The government is seriously concerned about the welfare oftraditional fishermen and is totally committed to protecting their interest andimproving their economic condition byproviding greater incentives to them."