Row over ring seine net rears its ugly head again
A boat which was set on fire during a clash between fishermen communities in Visakhapatnam on Friday
Visakhapatnam: The dispute brewing over ring seine nets for the past two years did not make any headway as the authorities concerned failed in resolving it for good.
The two fishermen groups continue to indulge in a clash for the same reason. Even earlier, the dispute between the two groups led to injuries among the community and property was damaged as the boats were set on fire.
Apparently, several meetings were held involving fishermen association leaders, ministers concerned, including Fisheries Minister Seediri Appalaraju and former Tourism Minister M Srinivasa Rao regarding the dispute that continues to resurface.
Responding to the recurring issue, Seediri Appalaraju mentioned that hunting with ring seine nets inside 8-km from the coast at sea was prohibited. Further, he informed that the decision was taken by the government after holding discussions with the motorboat owners and traditional fishermen. However, despite the decision taken, the clash between the groups continues to simmer for quite a while.
In order to refrain the fishermen communities from getting into scuffle, a technical committee was also formed to draw up a solution mitigating the issue. Meanwhile, the latest dispute added to the list was the incident that happened on Friday as two groups of fishermen were involved in a clash over the use of ring seine nets in the restricted part of the sea. Six boats were set on fire near Vasavanipalem, Yendada.
A large number of police personnel rushed to the neighbourhood to control the situation. This apart, police pickets were also set up to prevent disputes among the community. The fishermen group demanded action against those who had set the boats ablaze.
Although the police step into the scene and bring the situation under control, deriving a permanent solution for the ring seine net row appears to be a far cry. Fishermen communities expect that the authorities concerned should come forward to provide a permanent solution for their serious concern.