Ports put up signboards on endangered species of fish

In the next two days, Karnataka police department (CID forests) will erect large signboards with information and pictures of endangered species of fish according to the various schedules of Indian Forest Act (Wildlife) 1972.

The first three signboards have already been erected in Baithkol in Karwar, Honnavar and Bhatkal. Two more will be erected in Udupi and Mangalore on Friday and Saturday.

Additional director general of police (CID) forests Chikkerur has taken up the cause of saving the endangered marine species including a few types sharks, dolphins, groupers, sea cucumber and various types of corals.

"It is true endangered species have been coming up on the dinner plates of people with or without their knowledge. For us in the CID, it is important to stop their fishing. It is also true that fishermen are not netting the endangered species by design or for the commercial values of those species. It is being done innocently and without knowledge of the implications of their act on the marine eco-system. The DNA report on dolphin landings in Karwar and other parts of the coast has sparked a movement towards spreading awareness among the fishermen," Chikkerur said.

The CID police, forests, will wait for the message to sink in among the state's marine fishermen before taking action against the errant fishermen.

"We have to talk to them, their leaders and educate them about why these species cannot be landed or sold. Nobody has told them the law implications so far. As a first step, we are going to meet them in all marine fish landing centres in Karnataka, explain to them what is on the board. We will put up posters in all boats, fishermen association offices, port offices, and in police stations nearer to the fish landing centres. These posters will carry the pictures of the endangered species and the law implications," Chikkerur said.

Fishermen welcomed the idea. "Nobody told us about this before even though the act had been in force since 1972. Only after Chikkerur took office as ADGP (CID), forests, we got some knowledge about the law implications. We have not heard it from the fisheries department though we interact with them on a day-to-day basis," said PM Tandel, a fishermen's leader at Baithkol.

"Now that we have the pictures and message in front of our eyes, we will try to abide by the rules as far as possible," he said.

Ramakanth Gaonkar, fishermen's leader from Mazali in Karwar, however, wanted the police to go slow on the implementation of the act since its violation may invite severe punishment and hefty fines.

"We are not saying habitual violators should be protected but innocent and un-intentional violations should be given some margin," Gaonkar said.

source: DNA / Photos: Rizwan Gangavali