Chennai

Indian fishermen on Saturday alleged that foreign vessels are fishing in the country's Exclusive Economic Zone during the fish breeding season.

They said this was happening at a time when they were banned from fishing for 61 days during the breeding season of marine fishes.

"Our fishermen in small boats had seen foreign vessels fishing in our waters. However, they were not able to identify the flag atop those vessels," K. Bharathi, President, South Indian Fishermen Welfare Association told IANS.

Bharathi said the Indian Coast Guard can easily identify different kinds of vessels on the sea -- fishing, including deep sea vessels, commercial vessels and others.

"The coastal security agency should be careful about allowing such vessels, failing which the purpose of fishing ban will serve no purpose," Bharathi said.

"While the Indian fishermen communities are prevented from fishing owing to coronavirus and the fishing ban season, we hear that the vessels of other countries are looting our sea," M. Illango, Chairperson, National Fisherfolk Forum (NFF).

"The fishermen with small boats in the district of Chennai have seen these vessels fishing in our Exclusive Economic Zone waters," Illango told IANS.

Citing the scrapping of Letter of Permit given to foreign vessels to fish in Exclusive Economic Zone of India in 2017, Ilango wondered how they are fishing in Indian waters.

"We demand that the Indian Navy and the Coast Guard together locate these illegal fishing vessels and take stringent legal action. We want the marine resources of India to be protected," Illango said.

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