Lok Sabha Question No. 1276 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-12-18
Subject: LoP for Foreign Fishing Vessels
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: KRISHNAN NARAYANASAMY RAMACHANDRAN

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE & FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF ANIMNAL HUSBANDRY, DAIRYING & FISHERIES LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 1276 TO BE ANSWERED ON 18 TH  DECEMBER, 2018

## LOP FOR FOREIGN FISHING VESSELS

## No.1276: SHRI N.K. PREMACHANDRAN

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE & FARMERS WELFARE कृ षि और ककसान कल्याण मंत्री be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has received report of the seven member committee headed by S. Ayyappan, Former Director General of Indian Council of Agricultural Research regarding the LoP of hi-tech foreign fishing vessels;
- (b) if so, the details of the report and recommendations of the Committee;
- (c) whether the Government initiated action against the foreign trawlers which obtained LoP for deep sea fishing and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether  the  Government  initiated  action  on  the  basis  of  the  notice  received  from  the Hon'ble High Court of Kerala directing to comply with the directions of the Court WP (c) No. 28818/16 and if so, the details thereof;
- (e) whether the Government proposes to initiate action against the concerned persons as per the report of the S. Ayyappan Committee; and
- (f) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE & FARMER'S WELFARE (SHRIMATI KRISHNA RAJ)

- (a) Yes, Madam. A Committee was set up under the chairmanship of Dr. S. Ayyappan, the then Director General of Indian Council of Agricultural Research for framing a 'National Policy on Marine  Fisheries'  in  India.    The  said  Committee  was  also inter  alia mandated  to  review  the erstwhile  Guidelines  for operation  of  fishing  vessels  in  the  Indian  EEZ.  The  Committee  has submitted its report on 29.7.2016.
- (b) In  the  report  of  the  said  Committee  a  suggested  Draft  of  the  'National  Policy  on  Marine Fisheries'  was  recommended.  Based  on  the  recommendations  of  the  said  Committee,  the 'National  Policy  on  Marine  Fisheries,  2017'  has  been  notified  in  the  Gazette  of  India (Extraordinary) on 28.4.2017, which covers various sub-sectors and activities including Fisheries Management, Monitoring, Control and Surveillance, Fisheries Data and Research, Mariculture, Island  Fisheries,  Post-harvest  &  Processing,  Fish  Trade,  Marine  Environment  &  Pollution,

Climate  Change  (Adaptation  and  new  initiatives),  Fisher  Welfare,  Social  Security  Nets  & Institutional Credits, Gender Equity, Additional/Alternate Livelihoods, Blue Growth Initiative, International Agreements/ Arrangements, Regional Cooperation, Governance and Institutional aspects.  The  'National  Policy  on  Marine  Fisheries,  2017'  also  recommended  to  rescind  the Letter of Permission (LOP) regime and to promote traditional fishers in deep-sea fishing.

- (c) The  LOPs  were  not  issued  to  the  foreign  trawlers.  The  LOPs  were  issued  to  the  Indian entrepreneurs for operation of Indian owned Deep Sea Fishing Vessels in the Indian Exclusive Economic  Zone  (EEZ).  However,  as  per  recommendation  of  the  report  submitted  by Committee headed by Dr. S. Ayyappan, the erstwhile Guidelines relating to issuance of LOPs have been rescinded in January, 2017. Subsequently, all the LOPs have also been cancelled in March, 2017.
- (d) Yes, Madam. The Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries has taken necessary steps in compliance with the directives contained in the Judgement dated 14.6.2017 passed by the Hon'ble High Court of Kerala in WP (c) No. 28818/16. A Committee has been constituted to  proceed  as  per  directives  of  Hon'ble  High  Court  in  the  matter.  The  Draft  of  the  New 'Guidelines for Regulation of Fishing by Indian Fishing Vessels in the Indian EEZ and the High Seas, 2018' has also been formulated.
- (e) & (f) The report submitted by the Committee headed by Dr. Ayyappan does not recommend action against any person.

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