Fishing

Govt imposes 4 month on catching of trout fish in Himachal Pradesh

The Himachal Pradesh fisheries department on Friday imposed a four-month ban on catching trout fish in major rivers and their tributaries spread over 600 km in the state. "In order to promote the breeding of trout fish in the cold-water regions of Himachal Pradesh and to conserve this natural resource, a complete ban on trout fishing has been implemented from November 1, 2024 to February 28, 2025," Director Fisheries Vivek Chandekl said in a statement issued here. These include the Pabbar river in Shimla district, Beas, Sarvari, Parvati, Gadsa, and Sainj rivers in Kullu district, Uhal river in Mandi and Kangra districts, and Bhandal Nala in Chamba district, the statement said. Chandel said the ban is necessary to conserve trout fish during their natural breeding season, allowing for natural seed collection in reservoirs. This four-month ban will ensure the long-term preservation of Himachal Pradesh's fishery resources and boost trout fish production in the state, he added. He said

Avail finance ministry's services to boost business: FM to fisherfolks

Urging the fishing community to avail the benefits offered through the Kisan credit card, Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday said it would help boost their trade. At a BJP membership drive here, Sitharaman said members of the fishing community who's applications were rejected by banks and financial institutions, may approach her for redressal. Prime Minister Narendra Modi felt the need for a separate department to address the issues related to fisheries and therefore, a dedicated department has been set up, she said in her address. "There are a lot of schemes for the welfare of the fishermen and they can avail term loan facilities to grow their businesses." Pointing out that a dedicated Kisan Credit Card was launched by the Centre to serve farmers' community, PM Modi suggested that a similar mechanism be developed to serve those who have been traditionally engaged in ocean farming along India's coastline for several years, Sitharaman said. "It

Death of fishing labourers: Dengue, cholera rising at Goa jetty, says Rane

Goa Health Minister Vishwajit Rane on Thursday said there has been a rise in cases of dengue and cholera at a jetty in Cutbona village, where six fish workers died of dehydration earlier this week, and asked authorities to monitor and control the situation. The health secretary has been asked to hold review meetings with health officers to address the situation at the Cutbona jetty, located in South Goa district, Rane said in a media statement. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the kin of fish workers, who died of dehydration on their return to the fishing jetty at Cutbona village earlier this week. Sawant paid a visit to the jetty on Wednesday along with state Environment Minister Aleixo Sequeira and local MLA Cruz Silva to take stock of the situation. Rane said there has been a "rise in cases of dengue and cholera reported from the Cutbona jetty." The Directorate of Municipal Administration has been asked to cooperate with th

Fresh murder case filed against Sheikh Hasina over fish trader's death

A new murder case has been filed against Bangladesh's deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina and 62 others, including ex-ministers of her cabinet, over the death of a fish trader during the quota reform protests in the country, a media report said on Monday. The case, filed late on Sunday, was the latest in the slew of cases filed against the 76-year-old leader after her resignation and fleeing to India on August 5 following a massive protest by students against a quota system in government jobs. It was filed by Shahnaz Begum, the wife of Md Milon, who was shot dead on July 21 while returning home from a local fish market, the Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported. As many as 62 people, including Hasina, former road transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader, former lawmaker Shamim Osman, and former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan, were named as accused in the case. According to the report, leaders and activists of the Hasina-led Awami League and its affiliated organisations armed with

Gujarat govt extends fishing ban in Arabian sea till Aug 15; Cong opposes

The Gujarat government has decided to extend the ban on fishing activities in the Arabian Sea by a fortnight till August 15, a move the Congress claimed to be "unfair and reckless" which will cause financial losses to fishermen. A senior official from the Gujarat fisheries department on Sunday said the decision was taken in consultation with the central government after considering a representation made by the fishermen's association to allow more time for fish to breed. The government also took into account scientific data and weather conditions to reach the decision, he said, adding the change is also likely to be adopted by other states on the western coast. Since 2021, the annual fishing ban in the state remained in effect from June 1 till July 31. The state fisheries department on July 31 issued a notification, amending the Gujarat Fisheries (Amendment) Rules, 2020, which stated no person shall carry out any type of fishing in the inland and territorial waters from June 1 to .

Fishing groups demand to keep fisheries' subsidy negotiations out of WTO

Ahead of the General Council meeting in Geneva, small-scale fisher groups from many countries, including India, Indonesia, and Bangladesh, have demanded that the WTO should not negotiate fisheries subsidies as the ongoing talks are 'unfair and unbalanced'. Members of the Geneva-based 166-member World Trade Organisation (WTO) after finalising a deal on curbing harmful subsidies on illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, are now discussing ways to curb these support measures that are contributing to overcapacity and overfishing (OCOF). The General Council is the second highest decision-making body of the WTO after the ministerial conference (MC), which meets after every two years. The World Forum of Fisher Peoples and the World Forum of Fish Harvesters and Fish Workers have raised concerns over the current text and said that exemptions for small-scale fishers across developing countries are being restricted by imposing irrational conditionalities. "We, therefore, demand that ...

Taiwan demands release of fishing vessel, 6 crew members held by China

According to CGA, the fishing vessel was about 10 km away from the province's shores at the time of interception

Share of crops declines; livestock and fishing up in agri GVO: NSO

Share of fruits, vegetables has risen from 24.1 per cent to 28.2 per cent between 2011-12 and 2022-23

No moratorium on repayment of loans during trawling ban period: Kerala govt

The Kerala government on Wednesday made it clear that no moratorium has been granted on repayment of loans availed by fishermen during the time of the ongoing 52-day-long trawling ban imposed in state waters. However, several measures, including free rations, were given to the fishermen's families during the trawling ban period from June 10 to July 31, state Fisheries Minister Saji Cheriyan told the state assembly. He was replying to a question raised by MLA E K Vijayan (CPI-M) during the Question Hour. The fishermen, who use mechanised vessels, and those engaged in other related work in the sector lost jobs during the ban, and they are being given free rations, the minister said. Under the financial relief scheme, those fishermen, who are members of their welfare fund board, would get assistance of Rs 4,500 during this time. Of this, Rs 1500 each is contributed by the union and state governments and the rest is the share of beneficiaries, he noted. While replying to a question,

9 pirates being brought to India, says Navy after rescuing Iranian vessel

A day after rescuing a hijacked Iranian fishing vessel and its 23-member Pakistani crew under an anti-piracy operation at sea, the Indian Navy on Saturday said the nine surrendered pirates are being brought to India for further legal action. The legal action will be taken against them under the Maritime Anti-Piracy Act, 2022. The Indian Navy's specialist teams have completed sanitisation and seaworthiness checks of fishing vessel Al-Kambar, according to a statement shared by the Navy's spokesperson. "The crew, comprising 23 Pakistani nationals, were given a thorough medical checkup prior to clearing the boat to continue with her fishing activities," it said. The Indian Navy on Friday had rescued the hijacked Iranian fishing vessel and its crew, after more than 12 hours of "intense coercive tactical measures" as part of the anti-piracy operation. The hijacked vessel was intercepted on Thursday, the Navy said on Friday. "INS Sumedha intercepted FV 'Al Kambar' during early hours of

India's annual per capita fish consumption jumps 81% during 2005-21

India's annual per capita fish consumption increased to 8.89 kg in 2021 from 4.9 kg in 2005, indicating changes in dietary mix driven by higher income and rising prosperity, according to a study. Among fish-eating populations, per capita annual fish consumption increased from 7.43 kg to 12.33 kg, an increase of 4.9 kg (66 per cent). The study was conducted by WorldFish, the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in association with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and other government bodies. The timeframe for this study was 2005-2006 to 2019-2021. During the 2005-2021 period, the country's fish production jumped over twofold to 14.164 million tonnes, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.63 per cent. Out of the total fish output, the domestic consumption of fish accounted for 82.36 per cent in 2005-2006, 86.2 per cent in 2015-2016 and 83.65 per cent in 2019-2020. The rest was used for non-food purposes and exports. The study noted that the

Maldives seeks info over Indian coast guard activities within its territory

The Maldives' government has formally requested the Indian government to provide "comprehensive details" of an incident in which its coast guard personnel allegedly boarded three Maldivian fishing vessels operating within its economic zone. The development is the latest in the diplomatic row between the two nations that led to the strain in bilateral ties after President Mohamed Muizzu, widely seen as a pro-China leader, came to power in November last year in the Maldives. There was no immediate response from the Indian government to the Maldivian allegations. On January 31, the Indian Army intercepted a Maldivian fishing boat engaged in fishing activities within the Maldives' Special Economic Zone (EEZ), located 72 nautical miles northeast of Dhidhdhoo, Haa Alifu Atoll, the Maldives' defence ministry claimed in a statement on Friday. It said that the Indian troops boarded three fishing boats within the Maldives EEZ without prior consultation with relevant authorities, thereby ...

Navy foils piracy attempt on cargo vessel along east coast of Somalia

The Indian Navy foiled a piracy attempt on an Iranian-flagged, fishing vessel along the East coast of Somalia, officials said on Friday. Indian warship INS Sharda came to the rescue of the vessel FV Omaril with 11 Iranian and eight Pakistani crew members after it came under attack from pirates, they said. "FV Omaril, an Iranian-fagged vessel, had been boarded by seven pirates who had taken the crew as hostages," Indian Navy spokesperson Commander Vivek Madhwal said. INS Sharda intercepted the vessel in early hours of Friday and used her integral helo and boats to coerce the pirates for safe release of crew along with the vessel, he said. The ship has ensured successful release of the 11 Iranian and eight Pakistani crew members, he said. "The ship also undertook confirmatory boarding on FV Omari to sanitise and check on the well-being of the crew who had been held captive by the Somali pirates," Madhwal said. "Relentless efforts by Indian Naval platforms, mission deployed for ...

Six Indian fishermen detained by Lankan navy, 2nd incident within a week

According to the Sri Lankan Navy, the fishermen were allegedly involved in 'illegal poaching' and were detained off the Kovilan Lighthouse in Kareinagar after a special operation on Wednesday

Advanced fishing nations must take responsibility for tuna damage: India

India on Monday said that advanced fishing nations must take responsibility for the damage caused to the Indian Ocean tuna stocks. Addressing virtually the concluding session of the 19th Working Party on Data Collection and Statistics of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC), Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Parshottam Rupala said the recent surge in industrial fishing by some nations has raised concerns globally. While many nations allowed their gigantic industrial fleets to exploit and deplete the Indian Ocean's tuna wealth, India maintained fleets of modest size operating with passive gear and leaving minimal footprints in the seascape, he said. "The impact of advanced fishing nations on global tuna stocks, especially in the high seas, is undeniable," he said. Recent research indicates that high seas fisheries, in their current scale, heavily rely on large government subsidies. Stating that the surge in industrial fishing has posed challenges to the ...

Inland fish production up over 2-fold in 9 yrs to 13.1 mn tonnes: Minister

Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Minister Parshottam Rupala on Thursday said the country's inland fish production has more than doubled in the last nine years to 131 lakh tonnes on the back of government's initiatives to boost this sector. The minister also highlighted that the Modi government has announced an investment of around Rs 38,000 crore under various programmes in the last nine years. Addressing a press conference here, Rupala announced that a 'Global Fisheries Conference India 2023' is being organised in Ahmedabad from November 21-22 to discuss immense potential as well as challenges in the sector. The deliberation will help in preparing a future roadmap for this sector. The minister said more than 5,000 people are expected to attend this conference from across the world. He informed that embassies of more than 50 countries have been invited along with global organisations like FAO, World Bank and ADB. Stakeholders, including fishers and fish farmers, engaged in

Marine scientists unearth genome secrets of popular Indian oil sardine

In a major breakthrough in marine fisheries research, a team of scientists at the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) has decoded the whole genome of the Indian oil sardine, a popular food fish. This is the first time that the genome of a marine fish species from the Indian subcontinent has been decoded, a CMFRI statement said here. CMFRI Director Dr A Gopalakrishnan described this development as a 'milestone' in Indian marine fisheries, saying that the decoded genome will be a valuable resource for understanding the biology, ecology and evolution of the oil sardine (Sardinella longiceps). "This critical genome data could be used to improve the management strategies for the conservation and sustainable utilisation of this fish," he said. The decoded genome is 1.077 Gb in size and contains a total of 46316 protein coding genes. This landmark research accomplishment was achieved through the cutting-edge Next Generation Sequencing technology by a group of researc

India, Bangladesh discuss cross-border fishing, information sharing

The regional commander level meeting between Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and its Bangladesh counterpart BCG was held on Monday, an official said. The meeting, held through video conferencing, was organised under the provisions of memorandum of understanding (MoU) and standard operating procedure signed between the coast guards of the two neighbouring countries in 2015 and 2017, respectively, he said. Maritime issues such as sensitisation of fishermen on cross-border fishing, information sharing and capability building were discussed at the meeting, he added. The meeting was co-chaired by ICG's commander of northeast Inspector General Iqbal Singh Chauhan and BCG's commander of west zone Captain Mohammad Kibria Haq, the official said.

Fishing curbed, evacuation along coast begins ahead of Biparjoy's landfall

Fishing activities along Gujarat's south and north coasts have been suspended and authorities began evacuating people in districts by the sea in view of cyclone 'Biparjoy' likely to make landfall along the Saurashtra-Kutch coasts as a very severe cyclonic storm, officials said on Monday. Officials in coastal Devbhumi Dwarka said around 1,300 people have been shifted to safer places so far in this regard. In its latest bulletin, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the 'extremely severe cyclonic storm' was very likely to move north-northeast and cross Saurashtra and Kutch and adjoining Pakistan coasts between Mandvi (Gujarat) and Karachi (Pakistan) by the noon of June 15 as a 'very severe cyclonic storm' with maximum sustained wind speed of 125-135 kilometres per hours (kmph) gusting to 150 kmph. As of Sunday night, the extremely severe cyclonic storm Biparjoy lay about 540 km west of Mumbai, 360 km southwest of Porbandar, 400 km south-southwest of Devbhumi Dwarka, 490 km .

61-day annual marine fishing ban along coastal belt to begin from June 1

The 61-day annual marine fishing ban will come into effect along the coastal region from June 1 till July 31. With this, mechanised boats and traditional boats fitted with inboard or outboard engines of 10 HP and above are banned from carrying out fishing activities during the period. Fishermen, however, have been permitted to engage in coastal fishing activities using motorised engines with a capacity of up to 10 HP as well as country boats, an official release here said. The order said fishermen who violate the rule will face penalty under the Karnataka Marine Fisheries Act, 1986 and will also be disqualified from getting diesel subsidy for one year. The objective of the ban on deep-sea fishing is to regulate fishing practices and preserve marine resources during the monsoon which is the breeding period of important fish species. All fishermen are urged to comply with the order, the release said.