According to Joseph Xavier Kalappurackal, General Secretary of the All Kerala Fishing Boat Owners Association, the long-pending demand of the fishing community for a uniform law in seawaters has not been considered.
Today, each State has different laws pertaining to fishing, which gives innumerable difficulties to fishermen to venture into the sea.
Similarly, the demand for promulgating a new law to carry out marketing of the fish catch throughout the country without the interference of middlemen has not met.
The Finance Minister also not heed to the request for constructing coastal roads connecting towns with fish landing centres as well as extending diesel subsidy for trawling boats in marine pumps by avoiding the road cess.
Source: The Hindu Business Line
