Visakhapatnam: Police personnel and officials of AP fisheries department on Friday morning foiled attempts by fishermen to venture into the sea from Visakhapatnam for fishing with ring nets.
Armed police had also been deployed at Jalaripeta and Asuvanipalem beaches to prevent clashes between two groups of fishermen – one using ring nets and the fishing with traditional nets.
In 2022, there had been a flare-up when two groups clashed in mid sea and on shore, wherein they burned boats. Section 144 had been imposed and fishing banned for a week in August 2022. The issue got resolved with intervention of fisheries minister Seedari Appala Raju and joint collector S. Viswanathan. The committee headed by Viswanathan had then set boundaries for fishing in Visakhapatnam.
Fishermen Youth Welfare Association district president Teddu Shankar said the issue had been closed two years ago. But a couple of fishermen from Jalari Endada and Asavanipalem had planned to venture into the sea with ring nets on Friday. Fishermen from Peda Jalaripeta strongly opposed the move and informed police and fisheries department officials.
The traditional fishermen allege that if the ring nets were allowed, there would be nothing left for them to fish. Fisheries joint director Shiek Lal Mohammed said all ring net owners had been asked to surrender their ring nets by February 15. But none of them have done so, though the deadline ended. “As expected, a couple of them venture into the sea with ring nets on Friday. We stopped and warned them against using ring nets. If they fail to do so, they will be prosecuted,” the joint director warned.
He underlined that ring nets have been banned as per AP Marine Fisheries Act and Coastal Zone Regulation Act. Nets with half inch and above mesh are allowed. There are 14 villages on the Vizag coast with about 500 boats. Of these, only eight boats had been permitted to use ring nets. These boats could fish only from Sagarnagar and beyond with ring nets. That permission had been valid till April 15, 2023.
