Question : LoP for Foreign Fishing Vessels

(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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