The Madras High Court today kept in abeyance two key suggestions made in a report by an amicus curiae to check the deaths of Olive Ridley turtles due to use of gill and ray nets by fishermen.
A bench of Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice T S Sivagnanam, which has initiated suo motu proceedings treating a media report on the matter as a PIL, refused to order seizure of the nets during the turtles' nesting period of November-April every year and inspection of fishermen's hamlets to locate such nets.
The court acceded to the request of Tamil Nadu Advocate General A L Somayaji who said the two suggestions forming part of a standard operating procedure (SOP) prepared by the curiae would be difficult to implement.
The first suggestion favoured prohibiting the use of gill nets and ray fish nets and other nets found harmful to turtles during their migration and nesting period from November to April every year.
The second one proposed inspection of fishing villages in each district to enumerate such nets and maintain a register and seize these nets in the last week of September every year and return them to their owners in March-end.
Reiterating the state's stand, Somayaji said conservation of sea turtles was essential but such measures should not adversely affect the livelihood of fishermen.
The bench, however, asked authorities to ensure that there would be proper patrolling in areas so that nesting areas of turtles are not disturbed by fishermen and their gill nets and ray fish nets and adjourned the matter to December 3.
