THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Indian Coast Guard on Saturday intercepted a fishing boat from Tamil Nadu off the Vizhinjam coast here for fishing without a valid registration, a Defence statement said.

The vessel, ‘New Tharu 2’, was found to be registered at Thoothukudi and was being operated by an underage crew—a violation of the Kerala Marine Fishing Regulation Act (KMFRA), the statement said. “Indian Coast Guard Interceptor Boat IC-309 while on routine patrol intercepted an Indian Fishing Boat ‘New Tharu 2’ on January 25, 2025, off Vizhinjam. “...was fishing off Vizhinjam without any valid registration certificate onboard and underage crew which is in violation of Kerala Marine Fishing Regulation Act (KMFRA),” it said.

The fishing boat along with its six crew members and 200 kilograms of fish onboard were handed over to the Fisheries department officials in Vizhinjam.