Tough laws deter use of banned equipment in fishing

by Mohammed NAALIR

The Fisheries Ministry has toughened laws against the use of banned equipment in fishing, resulting in the practice declining considerably. Legal action was taken against 33 persons for using banned equipment during the past eight months of this year, Fisheries Ministry sources said.

The sources said that 596 cases are proceeding in the Courts against fishermen, for using banned fishing equipment and failure to register vessels. Fisheries Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne said that 497 fishermen were sued for using banned and dangerous equipment to fish in 2010. This declined to 144 in 2011 and to 33 in 2012, he said.

Due to the intensified laws, the Ministry can now apprehend those who violate the regulations at any time. As a result, illegal activities have declined drastically, leading to the harvest of small-scale fishermen also increasing considerably.