Centre urged to withdraw LoPs to foreign vessels

The Association of Indian Fisheries Industries (AIFI), which represents the deepsea fishing industry in the country, is demanding that the Centre cancel Letter of Permissions (LoPs) issued by the Union ministry of agriculture allowing deployment of foreign vessels for tuna fishing.

Though 33 foreign fishing vessels operating in the Indian waters harvested 10,000 tonne of tuna fish worth about Rs 500 crore during this season, none of them paid a single paise to the Indian government, Y G K Murthy, AIFI president, told media persons here on Sunday.

"Despite lack of adequate infrastructure facilities at our fishing harbours, tuna fishing is gaining momentum. During the current season about Rs 35-40 crore worth of tuna fish was exported from India through our association members. So there is no need for allowing foreign vessels for deepsea fishing. Keeping this in mind, our association is demanding the Centre not to allow foreign vessels for tuna fishing in the Indian waters and cancel all the existing LoPs," he said.

He alleged that some of the LoP-holders were bringing more vessels unauthorisedly for tuna fishing causing heavy loss to the local industry.

He cited the Mumbai-based Affable Fisheries Private Limited as an example of illegal tuna fishing. The firm brought two foreign vessels -- Lotus and Apollo -- without any LoPs or any other permissions. The vessels were detained by the Customs and Coast Guard at Cuddalore in Tamil Nadu, he said.

"To check the illegal fishing and to save the Indian deepsea fishing industry, our association strongly demands cancellation of the existing LoPs."

The AIFI also urged the government to create landing facilities at Visakhapatnam and Chennai for the growth of tuna fishing industry in the east coast.