Bottom Trawling

Why in news?

• The CPI (M)-led Kerala government is under fire for inking a deal with an American firm for deep sea fishing and allied processing, what the Congress-led Opposition calls a bid to sell off the state’s marine wealth, endangering the livelihood of lakhs of fishermen in the state.

About Bottom Trawling:

• Bottom trawling is trawling along the sea floor also referred to as "dragging".
• The scientific community divides bottom trawling into benthic trawling and demersal trawling.
  • Benthic trawling is towing a net at the very bottom of the ocean
  • Demersal trawling is towing a net just above the benthic zone.
• Bottom trawling can be contrasted with midwater trawling (also known as pelagic trawling), where a net is towed higher in the water column.
• Midwater trawling catches pelagic fish such as anchovies, and mackerel, whereas bottom trawling targets both bottom-living fish (groundfish) and semi-pelagic species such as cod, squid, shrimp, and rockfish.
• Trawling is done by a trawler, which can be a small open boat with only 30 hp (22 kW) or a large factory trawler with 10,000 hp (7,500 kW).
• Bottom trawling can be carried out by one trawler or by two trawlers fishing cooperatively (pair trawling).
• Concerns about the environmental impacts of bottom trawling have led to changes in gear design, such as the addition of turtle excluder devices to reduce bycatch, and limitations on locations where bottom trawling is allowed, such as marine protected areas.

Environmental Problems

• Bottom trawling stirs up the sediment at the bottom of the sea and decreases light levels at the bottom which can affect kelp reproduction.
• Deep sea bottom trawling causes damage to seamount ecosystems worldwide.
• It causes damage to many species like Turtles who are caught as bycatches in trawling nets.

In India:

• The Union Government had in 2017 withdrawn permission given for foreign trawlers three years back for deep sea fishing in the exclusive economic zone of the country.
• The EEZ of the country extends up to 370 km from the coastline.
• Illegal fishing by foreign vessels in Indian waters is punishable under provisions of Maritime Zone of India (Regulation of Fishing by Foreign Vessels Act) 1981.
• In fact, foreign trawlers had been operational since 1997 with the then Union Government issuing letters of permission for foreign trawlers.

PRELIMS QUESTION

Consider the following statements regarding Bottom trawling:
1. It is completely prohibited in Indian exclusive economic zone.
2.It can be done only using large ships with integrated processing facilties.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a)1 only
(b)2 only
(c)Both 1 and 2
(d)Neither 1 nor 2

Answer to Prelims Question