Ongole: Officials told to check fishing by others in reserved waters

Ongole: Prakasam district SP Malika Garg ordered the local police to conduct a joint patrolling with the fisheries and coastal security officers in the sea to control large mechanized boats (Sona Boats) fishing in the reserved waters near coastal line and to take stringent action against them for damaging the livelihood of fishermen with traditional boats.

At a meeting with the officials concerned here on Wednesday, she discussed with them the provisions under the Andhra Pradesh Marine Fisheries Act 1995 for the mechanized and non-mechanized boats.

She said that the fishermen with traditional boats can fish up to 8 kilometres in the sea while the mechanized boats can fish from 8 to 23 kilometres and the large mechanized boats like Sona boats can fish after 23 kilometres also.

The SP understood that the Sona boats from Cuddalore, Pondicherry, Karaikal and other places in Tamil Nadu are venturing into the reserved waters in AP region against the APMFT Act and damaging the livelihood of the local fishermen.

Fisheries Joint Director K Chandrasekhar Reddy, Assistant Director Ranganath Babu, DSB DSP B Mariyadasu, Ramayapatnam marine CI RS Kishore Kumar, Kothapatnam marine CI K Srinivasa Rao and others also participated in the meeting.