Address by Sri Tarun Ku. Pattnaik, President OMFPA ( Orissa Marine Fish Producers Association)

As all of you might know, there was a national-level Workshop-cum-Demonstration on Turtle Excluder Device at this place of Paradeep back in November 1996 under the guidance of a four member team of American experts headed by Mr. Wilber Seidel of National Marine Fisheries Service, USA, attended by a large number of turtle and gear specialists from various scientific bodies of India. The main focus of this programme was how to bring about some regulatory measures for application of TED in our country. As a matter of fact, TED was not as urgent an issue at that time as we find today.

So far I know, the American Federal Court of International Justice on the basis of a petition filed by an NGO, Earth Island Institute ruled that no further importation of shrimp would be allowed to USA market from those countries, which did not apply TED in their trawl nets. As a result, the countries like India, Thailand, Pakistan, China, Japan and Bangladesh could not export their shrimp to the processing plants of USA. Under the pressure of shrimp processing lobby of USA, their Government organized some TED technology transfer programmes in different countries of the world including India.

As I know, their National Marine Fisheries Service conceived TED in the early 80s in U.S.A. Thereafter this design was further developed to suit their fishing condition. By 1988 they could standardise a few TED models, which were sought to be applied in their coastal waters since 1990. There was however resistance by the U.S.A trawl owners to the application of TED. In 1993, a legislation was made making TED mandatory in the coastal waters of U.S.A. Since then their trawl owners are supposed to be implementing TED. Some years back I had been to a World Conference on Fisheries, where I met the leader of California Trawl Owners Association and asked him whether they used T.E.D. The leader said, "Yes, we do, but at the same time we do protest against T.E.D whenever we find it uncongenial for us. You know, ours is a democratic country."

India is a democratic country too. Here also we have a right to protest. The protest you saw today morning here in this Workshop is a mark of our democratic right. Let me tell you, why did we protest? As you know, in press and different forums like seminar and workshop etc., there is a visible tendency to blame the trawl owners for the killing of sea turtles. Whenever we ask such press reporters about the one-sided publicity made by them, they just remain callous and rather persist in publishing the same kind of opinion against the trawl owners.

Here are present several authorities like Fishery Department, Chief Wildlife Warden and Coast Guard before whom we the trawl owners are definitely a weaker group. One case I know that took place last year, in which the Coast Guard fired upon a trawler, even though it was operating outside the Gahirmatha Sanctuary area off Dhamra coast. I asked the Coast Guard about the matter, but their reply was that they were bound to resort to firing because the men in charge of trawling did not obey the order. In my opinion, such coercive actions are not wise. Let us think of the ways in which such undesirable situation could be avoided in future.

Now coming to the fate of trawling industry of Orissa, let me tell you, what you call trawlers are not trawlers in proper sense of the term. A trawler is always a huge structure. What we have got in Orissa are the fishing vessels, which do the work of trawling. The so-called trawl owners of Orissa are therefore a group of small people. Of course there is a new fishing harbour constructed for deep sea trawlers at Paradeep. But no media man or for that matter any authority is ever concerned with the miserable condition that the new fishing harbour or the trawling community is passing through.

The TED has been declared mandatory for all trawlers of Orissa coast. The Fisheries Department are also operating two trawlers from the new Fishing Harbour. No body has ever cared to know whether these departmental trawlers are using TED or not. The present model of TED has been designed by CIFT. The Fisheries Survey of India have done some experimental fishing with the help of TED fitted to their nets. However I don't have the data of the TED fishing trials that might have been conducted by the FSI.

My next submission is about WTO where the TED issue has been raised a number of times. As you might know, the USA position was challenged by some maritime countries including India in 1997. Then I was a member of Central Board of Fisheries and Sri Y.S. Yadav the Commissioner of Fisheries, Government of India. We on behalf of Orissa Marine Fish Producers Association, Paradip had sent a petition to the WTO, Geneva where the case was being heard. As you know, we won the case. The then BBC Correspondent for South East Asia rushed to us here at Paradip, and met myself and my friend Sri Kishore Rath, who were present on the day. The said Correspondent congratulated us saying that we created a furore in the world over the issue of TED by winning the case against the US position in WTO.

I don't believe that the numbers of letters reaching a government office necessarily reflect the ground reality on an issue. By sending letters to the Government we cannot bring in real improvement in the environment. If I like, I can also arrange to send hundreds of letters daily to a Government office through our staff. Even common fishermen can be asked to write such letters which might run into lakhs and lakhs, demanding before the Government to stop all turtle conservation measures for the sake of safeguarding the fishing community against present harassment. But I know, that won't cut any ice. However, it is true, our Government respects letters from abroad more than the letters from within home.

I heartily welcome this Workshop, which has a long schedule of programmes for both discussion and field demonstration. As you know, on the concluding day, there would be a session of recommendation based upon the experience of earlier three days. I just want to warn my trawler fraternity about how the recommendations are made in such workshops. As I know from my personal experience, the ultimate shape of recommendations as written down by the organizers of the workshop, does widely vary from the tone and temper of the discussion and deliberation that might have been made earlier in course of the workshop proceedings. Moreover, the recommendations of a workshop like this are invariably circulated among the participants long after the Workshop is over. The points and demands raised by the participants, for whom the Workshop was called, do mysteriously vanish from the body of recommendations. As a matter of fact, recommendations are made in such a manner as to suit the design of the Government only. Keeping this bad experience in view, our trawler brothers should not allow it to happen again on the day of recommendation. We should, first of all, see the draft copy of the recommendations, then give our comments, and suggest changes if and where necessary, on the basis of which the final draft of the recommendations or resolution may be moved before the house. Then only can we give our signature of approval to the recommendation or resolution as passed in the Workshop. My sole concern behind telling all this to you is that the recommendation or resolution should reflect the interest and aspiration of the trawling community authentically.

COMMENTS BY THE PRESIDENT Sri A.K. Tripathy, Secretary Fisheries, Orissa

The Government do not want to forcefully introduce any measure for the fisherman community against their will. Though there are several laws made and in force, we cannot forcibly implement them. We sincerely want the fisheries sector of the State to grow and the trawl owners to harvest more and more of fish catch, and at the same time they should also consider the case for conservation of sea turtle. This Workshop is meant basically to explore the ways and means of how to conserve the sea turtles without hampering the livelihood of the fishermen.

Now I request Sri Man Mohan Praharaj, I.G. Orissa Police, who has deep love for both Olive ridley sea turtles and fishermen community of our coast, to deliver his talk.

Sri Manmohan Praharaj, I.G. Orissa Police

The coastal security is an important area of interest for me. I have come here to observe the proceeding of the workshop and learn thereby.

Look, another group of people are proceeding towards this meeting hall to stage an agitation. Thank you for calling me.

Agitating fishermen and women enter the meeting hall........

Some men and women under the leadership of Sri Subash Nayak of 'Kartikeshwar Matschyajibi Sangha" came in a procession holding placards and banners and entered the meeting hall shouting various slogan against the Fisheries Department and the NGO, the organizers of the Workshop. As learnt from their spokesperson, they were aggrieved by the non-invitation to the gill netter-fishermen's associations to this Workshop. However at the behest of the President Sri Tripathy, their leader was offered a seat on the dias and assured to be given an opportunity to ventilate their grievances.

COMMENTS BY THE PRESIDENT Sri A.K.Tripathy, Secretary Fisheries, Orissa

As far as I know, there is no restriction on fishing on the gill netters or for that matter, on the traditional fishermen, who are supposed to fish within in-shore waters upto 5 km off the coast-line. As I have read, the fishing practices of the traditional fishermen are not harmful as such to the Olive ridley sea turtles, though there are some sporadic reports of turtles getting entwined with the gill nets. You should not harbour any misgiving that our restrictive measures for turtle conservation would adversely affect the gill netters. While making this brief statement, I will request you to stay on in the technical sessions to follow today and in next two days and get your doubts, if any further clarified through discussion. I request Dr. Pandav to inform us at a later stage in this Workshop on the studies that might have been made by the scientists on the impact of gill netting on the sea turtles.

Address by Sri Santosh Ku. Mohapatra, Chairman, Paradip Port Trust As Inaugurator

I first of all thank the organisers of this Workshop for having invited me to inaugurate it. So far I know, of all the events- seminar, workshop or meeting etc, that I had the occasion to inaugurate in the past, the one I inaugurated today has been the most eventful one. I was ill prepared for it, since I didn't foresee it to happen.

Let me frankly tell you that I am perhaps not worthy enough to inaugurate an occasion like this, since I am not related to the subject matter of this Workshop. I am not related to fish or shrimp in any other manner than eating it. When I first came to Paradeep, I found there were more trawlers than ships. Here I see friends like Mr.Tarun Pattanaik and Mr.Pravat Acharya who are the representatives of Trawlers Associations. They know that Paradip Port has already passed through a lot of trials and tribulations in course of last several years. Above all, we all experienced the severest of natural calamities like Super Cyclone that hit Paradip. At long last, we have reached a state of equilibrium, which means every body has a right to stay here, fish or fisherman, trawler or country boat, cargo port or fishing harbour and the like. This I call peaceful co-existence, which I also believe, to be the motto of this Workshop.

In my opinion, both turtle and fisherman have a night to co-exist. You may ask, why suddenly today this question is being raised? The turtle was there, and so also the fisherman for thousands of years. Why is it felt necessary today to fix a TED to the fishing net so as to save the turtle? Some explain it in saying that it so happened because of our enhanced level of consciousness.

Of course, I don't believe that the environmental consciousness is only a recent phenomenon. Our ancestors were also very wise, intelligent, and knowledgeable and had a strong and sound environmental consciousness. As a matter of fact, earlier in the past, the things were working in a manner that didn't disrupt the normal state of affairs. If some body removed some pieces of stone from a hill, the denuded area used to get vegetated again. Even if the fishermen fished from the waters as much as they could, the fish stock could again be replenished. But a time came when there was a sharp and visible break with the pre-existing state of normalcy. The decisive factor of this break was the ushering in of mechanization that aimed at mass production of goods and services, which was not there earlier. When the hand-held stone-cutter was replaced by the dynamite, an entire hill could be blasted and razed to the ground in a few moments. The new situation provoked some people to think, how to save the hill from extinction altogether. Thus came the need for legislations on mining.

Similarly, fishing in the past used to be done by small, small nets and boats. There were then no large-sized trawlers, engines, big, big nets, or nylon ropes, to be made use of in fishing. As you might know, we read a story, 'Old man and the sea', in which an old man used to catch only a single fish in a day by using his angling rod with a long rope. The traditional fishing devices didn't pose any possibility of the turtle getting entrapped or drowned or killed. Since we have mechanized the fishing practices entailing thereon the possibilities of pollution, overexploitation, and endangerment of various aquatic species, there seemed to be a corresponding need for a particular kind of consciousness that aimed at protection of marine environment.

We might say that we the human beings, endowed as we are by God with intelligence, are the only species of Creation, privileged to apply science to further our prosperity ad infinitum. Were the turtle, which is also another species of this Creation like man, endowed with intelligence, it could have discovered the required device for its safety and survival by itself in the face of adverse conditions. But the turtle as you know, is not endowed with intelligence like man. So we the men have to think for and on behalf of the turtle, to design the appropriate device for its safety and survival in this planet.

Now coming to the subject matter of this Workshop, I am not a technical expert to comment on such specific questions as to whether a device like TED is required at all or not; if required, then for which kind of vessels- trawlers, gill-netters, country boats or deep sea vessels; what should be the size of the device, and the like. All these questions and issues can be sorted out by you people through open-hearted discussion and mutual cooperation in course of the Workshop.

Though I am not directly related to the subject of this Workshop, I however feel extremely happy, whenever any worthwhile programme like the present one held within Paradip turns out into a success.

At last I reiterate the principle of co-existence, and in this context, that of both fisherman and turtle, to be the motto of the Workshop. THANKS.

Presidential Remarks by Sri A.K.Tripathy,Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Fisheries and Animal Resources Development Dept, Government of Orissa at the end of Inaugural Session on 9th February 2002.

I am not a fishery expert, and neither the Director of Fisheries, Orissa is. We are generalists. Moreover, I had joined about a month and half back as Secretary of Fisheries, while the Director Fisheries joined the Department only a month back. Soon after my joining I wished to take up a matter, which all of you might be interested in i.e. the intrusion of outside fishing vessels into Orissa's territorial waters. As you might have read from the newspapers, the trawlers from Andhra Pradesh, Gujurat, and other States of the country and even trawlers of the foreign countries are trespassing into the territorial waters of Orissa and exploiting our marine resources. Soon after the Director of Fisheries joined, I asked him, "When outside people are fishing away in our waters and grow rich by way of exporting the fish caught from here, what are our fishermen doing? Why are they not able to exploit our marine resources?" As you might know, a trawler from an outside State has been seized of late at Gopalpur. Even the traditional fishermen of other States are trespassing into our waters and fishing illegally.

The Director of Fisheries and myself want that our trawlers should exploit more and more fishery resources from our coastal waters. This is simply unbearable that the people of other States are using our marine resources, whereas we are not able to do so.

As you might know, there are several lakhs of fishermen of various categories in the coastal districts of Orissa including the trawl owners, whose livelihood depends upon the sea, river mouths, creeks and other water bodies adjacent to the sea. It is always the concern of Fisheries Department to see how best we can create more and more facilities for these fisherfolk, so as to enable them to increase their fish catch and income.

As the Director of Fisheries admitted, our trawlers are now doing blind fishing, on account of which the provisions like Fish Finder, Echo Finder and GPS (Global Positioning System) are now being proposed to be supplied to the fishermen. As the Chairman, MPEDA informed us, an average fisherman in Kerala makes use of these advanced equipments and is thereby able to increase his fish production. Now along with TED, we think of supplying these equipments to the trawl owners and gill netters of our coast in the very interest of increasing their fish production. We shall talk with the Chairman MPEDA and the Development Commissioner of Fisheries, Orissa for procurement and supply of these equipments to our fishermen. Our sole intention is how to increase fish productivity in our State.

I was discussing with Dr.Pandav as regards the application of Internet and Satellite transmission methods in the field of marine fisheries. Through these methods we shall be enabled to locate the exact areas in the sea, where the fish feed like plankton and chlorophyll are available or where shoals of fish are available. Trawl owners like Kameswar Babu shall be definitely interested to know, where the shrimps are available from the satellite picture. I have already told the Director of Fisheries to explore whether we are in a position to receive the satellite data and disseminate the same among the fishing communities. From MPEDA we learnt that these provisions could be made available to the fishermen through our Dept. Shortly we shall be organizing some interactions with the fishermen at Paradip, Dhamara and Chandipur on this issue.

Recently there was a meeting of Fisheries Departments of various maritime States of the country, held at Bhubaneswar under the aegis of MPEDA (Marine Products Export Development Authority), where we took part on their invitation. In that meeting, the Secretary of Fisheries, Karnataka informed that their marine production has declined by 40%. He wanted to know whether such declining trend is found in other coastal States and if so, what are the reasons? It was felt in that meeting that over fishing is the main reason behind the decline of fish production. Just as the Chairman, Paradip Port Trust, the inaugurator of today's Workshop observed in his speech, over-exploitation of any resource would lead to decreasing returns sooner or later. However, our fishermen are not responsible for over-fishing in our coast. The trawlers and fishermen of other States are responsible for it.

As I came to know, our Department used to encourage the growth of fishing over the years. Our Department itself had 30 nos. of trawlers and a large establishment here at Paradip to manage them. Now the Department have no trawlers. The private entrepreneurs are now having trawlers by arranging bank loan and additional money from some other sources. Each of them has invested 4 to 6 lakh of Rupees per trawler on an average. In such a situation how can I say to them, "Don't kill turtle, do this or do that." Were I a trawl owner myself, I would have reacted naturally, "What should I then do with my trawler? Should I only roam around in the sea for nothing? Am I meant to conserve the turtles only".

Yesterday I read a book given by Dr. Bivas Pandav and today also I discussed the matter on TED with Sri Kameswar Praharaj (President, Balasore Trawl Owners Association). In developed countries like USA, there is voluntary compliance by the trawl owners to various fishing regulations. As I learnt, when the expert committee appointed by the USA Government first approached the trawl owners for the use of TED, the trawl owners refused to accept it. Nobody voluntarily used TED. Then in 1993 legislation was made in USA for making TED mandatory. It was notified to them that, if they don't use TED, they wouldn't be allowed to conduct the shrimp trawling in the specified coasts.

As I read, in USA, there are 5 to 6 designs of TED. There are soft TEDs too. Keeping in view the local conditions of our coast, the CIFT (Central Institute of Fisheries Technology) have designed a TED model, which is being now experimented by Dr. Bivas Pandav, a scientist of WII (Wildlife Institute of India), Dehradun in our coast. Moreover, somebody reported me that the catch loss might reach upto 20%. I had then observed, if catch loss could be 20% or 25% due to use of TED, why should a trawl owner use it? Again there is always the apprehension of the large-size fishes escaping through TED hole.Were I a trawl owner myself, I would have refused to use it. Since I spend about Rs.14,000/- for a single voyage, I would definitely see how much returns I get back? I would first see in my own eyes that there is not much loss of fish. Otherwise why should I use a device, which does not bring profits?

I do understand that you are doing blind fishing and therefore tend to catch every type of fish small or big of A, B, or C Classes. You therefore feel worried when there is a possibility of catch loss by the use of TED.

Let me now tell you that our Dept. has no pre-conceived notion on TED or any other measure to be imposed on the fisher folk. In this forum we want to discuss with you and know your opinions. That is what I told the trawl owners today morning, with a view to dispel their misgiving about our intentions. Our Dept. is not interested in policing over the fishermen, nor do we want a 'hide and seek' game to continue between the police and fisherman ad infinitum.

Why did we invite you (trawl owners) to this forum? There are laws and regulations already in force. We could have implemented these provisions with rigour and force. Just as we seized the trawlers of Andhra Pradesh trawling illegally in our waters, we could have gone on seizing your trawlers on the grounds of non-use of TED. Did we do that? No, because we want the marine fishery resources of our State to be exploited by our fishermen, who would be benefited thereby too. At the same time we want to explore whether there could be an improved design of TED. This Workshop is scheduled for 4 days, in course of which you the trawl owners should freely opine and deliberate.

Yesterday I discussed with Dr. Pandav who agreed on the need for modifying the present design of TED. Such modification can be effected through the scientists of CIFT, Kochi who are also present here.

Meanwhile the Director of Fisheries, Orissa along with others including Sri Kishore Rath of OMFPA (Orissa Marine Fish Producers Association) had gone on a trial fishing with TED on 27th Jan. last in order to ascertain how much catch loss was occurring due to the use of the TED. However, on that day, the fish loss in two hauls was 1% and 6% respectively. I think there is an immense scope for improving the present design of TED. We therefore want the trawl owners to examine and reexamine the present design of TED and experiment it in the sea by themselves. Yesterday when I had been to the fishing harbour, one trawl owner from amongst you told me that they want soft TED in place of the hard, metal one and the result would be the same.

As I know, there was a Workshop-cum-Demonstration on TED in 1996, when I was of course not in the Dept of Fisheries. And now after a lapse of 6 years, we are having this Workshop. Our and your aim should be to find out some device or the other for getting fitted to the trawl net in order to save the sea turtle. It may not be the TED as such, but some other device, which we may also call by some other name.

I do not want our trawl owners to be placed in controversial positions centring round TED. As the Chairman PPT told, we should be on guard from now on against the worst. We may neglect the use of TED for a year or two or three or four years at a maximum, but one day or the other, we shall be taken to task on this account. The reason is obvious. Among the 5 to 6 nesting sites of Olive ridleys in the world, Gahirmatha in Orissa coast is considered as the largest one. Besides Gahirmatha, Rusikulya and Devi mouth are also important nesting sites of Olive ridleys. The entire world is now concerned with the fate of sea turtles found in our coasts.

Another point I want to emphasize here. The Chief Secretary of Orissa once asked in a recent meeting, 'What problem would be there, if there were no turtles? The Chief Wildlife Warden and other scientists present here can throw light on this question. As reported by Dr. Bibhas Pandav, in his recent visit to Astaranga area, he found a lot of jelly fishes only in the catch after catch. As you know, the turtle eats jelly fish. In absence of the turtles, the jelly fish population would grow replacing even that of the shrimps. The turtle is the scavenger of the sea and helps keep the environment of sea clean and favourable for shrimp and other fishes to grow. Again, just as a tiger indicates the presence of a forest including deer and other animal and birds, similarly the presence of turtle indicates a healthy marine environment. If we push away the turtles from our coast, there will be definitely an adverse impact on marine fishing resources. It is a scientific fact.

In a recent meeting at Government level, the Chief Secretary of Orissa asked Dr. (Mrs) Priyambada Mohanty-Hejmadi as to why a turtle which lives in the water dies in the trawl net? It was explained that turtle is a reptile and has therefore to move to the surface at regular interval of one hour to breathe. If the turtle gets entangled in the net, it first of all suffers a stress with consequent increase in acidity level in its body. At this stage of stress, the turtle would require more of oxygen than in normal time. If the entangled turtle remains under such stressful condition for 3 to 4 hours at a stretch inside the net, then it would die of suffocation. Thus the sea turtle being a reptile, forcible cessation of its breathing is a major cause of its death in the trawl net.

When I was discussing with the trawl owners outside this meeting hall sometime back, they asked, "Why do the turtles die? Are the trawl owners solely responsible for it?" Yesterday I was going through the survey report made by Dr. Bivas Pandav of WII, where the turtle mortality is said to be caused by different factors. As I got to know, a female ridley lays eggs about 8 times in a season, with 100 eggs per nesting. Thus an Olive ridley lays about 800 eggs in a season. But about 40% of the eggs do not hatch out at all. In Devi and Rusikulya mouth areas dogs, jackals and seagulls predate on the eggs. After the eggs hatch out, there is also damage caused to the hatchlings by very many factors. When the hatchlings grow in the sea, they are subject to further predation by big fishes and other marine animals.

Sea erosion is also a great cause of turtle endangerment. Let me show a picture, in which Rusikulya beach is littered with lakhs and lakhs of spoiled and damaged eggs. This is a revealing picture that shows a natural factor like sea erosion as responsible for large-scale devastation of a turtle hatchery. The other day I saw the story on Zee news and also an interview with Sri Biswajit Mohanty, where the large-scale death of adult turtles was the dominant theme. But the damage as you saw caused to the turtles at egg level by the sea erosion, is much greater than the mortality of adult turtles. You shall agree with me that the trawl owners or the traditional fishermen do not play any role in such large-scale damage caused to the sea turtles by a natural factor. Thus there are very many factors of turtle mortality, which need be discussed in threadbare manners in the technical sessions to follow.

Some scientists have mooted a suggestion to reduce the tow time of the trawler to less than 60 minutes. Even if we reduce the tow time, is there no possibility of the turtle getting drowned in the trawl net? I however don't know, how far this suggestion is a practical one in respect of shrimp trawling or other kinds of trawling practice in our coast.

We do know that no fisherman willfully kills a turtle. In Chilika area, where the dolphins are found, the fishermen avoid killing them. Similarly, turtle which is the second Avtar of God in Hindu mythology is not targeted for fishing. Some people might rarely take turtle eggs. But there is no organized poaching of turtle eggs in our coast. We don't export the turtles or use its shell for decoration either. While fishing for our livelihood, the turtles sometime get netted. So how to avoid turtle killing and at the same time earn our livelihood is the moot question before this Workshop.

Some people have a tendency to argue, 'We do not kill turtles, and if you think otherwise, then prove your point by conducting post-mortem examination of dead turtles'. This is no doubt a valid point. I would request Dr. Kar and other scientists present here to inform us, whether any survey has been done to ascertain the various factors of turtle mortality, whether the turtles are killed by mechanized trawling or by any other factors at different stages of the turtle breeding, at egg stage or hatchling stage or adult stage? As scientists they should share your findings with all concerned.

I discussed with Dr. Pandav about a proposal i.e. instead of declaring the entire Orissa coast as a 'no fishing zone', we should select some small, compact patches, say each of 10 sq. km, at Gahirmatha, Devi and Rusikuly mouth areas, where maximum congregation of turtles takes place and may recommend the use of TED or other such fishing restrictions in these selected places only, to avoid the possibility of turtles getting entangled in fishnets. As I have been reported, as many as 10 to 15 turtles get entangled in a single haul in these areas. If we can get to know from the aerial or satellite survey as to where the shoals of turtles are found, we can disseminate the same message to the trawlers asking them not to trawl in these areas during the nesting season. No fisherman willfully catches any turtle, which is neither eaten nor exported. Whosoever goes for fishing in these areas, we can prevent them from doing that by way of the proactive message dissemination.

I would appeal to the trawl owner associations present here to read the writing on the wall and get prepared accordingly. I am not a technical person to reflect on each and every issue relating to TED or turtle conservation measures. Here are the scientists, DFOs, NGOs and TED experts, who have thorough knowledge on the subject. The trawl owners should interact with them in coming two days in course of the practical hands-on training and demonstration programmes.

The traditional gill netting fishermen are also present here, though we had not invited them to this TED Workshop. They should also ventilate their opinions. The DFO Rajnagar, who is present here is requested to discuss with them in the next technical session regarding the seizure of their boats. I welcome Sri Subhas Nayak and others of Kartikeswar Matschyajibi Sangh who came in a procession along with their banners and slogans to this meetng hall. But he need not bring banners again, since we being the men of Fisheries Department wholeheartedly support the cause of fishermen and their legitimate demands, for which Sri Nayak fights.

But I would warn the fishermen again to do the amends before time slips out of our hands. In a recent meeting called by MPEDA, I asked Falcon and Suryodyog Companies about the present problems they might be facing in respect of shrimp exports. They are of the opinion that we might delay for a few years, say 5 years at maximum in implementing TED. But when the USA would insist on making TED mandatory for all shrimp exporting countries, and on the certification to that effect, then we shall not be able to export our shrimp any further. Alternatively we can't fetch good price for our shrimp from the local market. So we have to adopt a balanced approach. We have to maintain our livelihood while conserving the sea turtles.

As I know, there are nearly 1,000 applications from Orissa on brakish water fisheries pending before the Aquaculture Authority of India. We Oriyas are law abiding people and do observe the norms and procedures to get anything done. But in Andhra Pradesh, nobody cares for such norms and procedures. Thousands of acres are now occupied for brackish water pisciculture. Whenever an official team moves to demolish such structures, the people on the way invariably obstruct them.

However, we need to evolve a model of sustainable fishing in our coast, which means we don't do over fishing and at the same time look after the interest of trawl owners as well as that of the traditional fishermen along with that of Olive ridley sea turtles, which are using Orissa coast as their nesting ground. We need to check over fishing in order to ensure sustainable fishing and long-term interest of fisheries. If we can't export our shrimps we shall be placed in a miserable position. This Workshop is meant to discuss the ways and means of developing sustainable fisheries in our State. Sri Arobindo Behera, MD OSDMA, Sri Man Mohan Praharaj, IG Police, and Sri S.K.Mohapatra, Chairman PPT, all these persons who have no direct link with the topic of this Workshop did come and speak to you, because they have a deep concern for both Olive ridley turtles and fishermen communities.

I would now request Director of Fisheries to modify the agenda a little bit of the Technical Sessions, which are scheduled to follow this Inaugural Session, with a view to arrive at constructive solutions in stead of just debating over the subject amongst ourselves.

The technical session shall follow just now after this inaugural session is over. I would request the trawl owners to put forth all their points and doubts before the participants of the Workshop in a candid manner. Here are the scientists and officers from both Forest and Fisheries Departments. There should be full interaction among you all.

Tomorrow there shall be a programme for hands-on training on manufacture and fitting of TED followed by an on-sea demonstration of TED the day after tomorrow. You the trawl owners should freely interact on the questions relating to TED. On 12th February, as you know, we shall get together for a Recommendation session. Mr.Patnaik of OMFPA expressed his apprehension about the procedure to be adopted for arriving at recommendations, which should be taken care of in my opinion.

Let me tell you that there is already legislation on TED. But at the same time there is also scope for improvement of its design. If we find that the TED in no way affects your livelihood adversely, we shall recommend its use and slowly and gradually improve on its design in future.

You shall be happy to know that a man of Bhubaneswar manufactured the TED of present design. This TED is being supplied to Andhra Pradesh and other coastal States of the country. The members of trawler associations and gill-netter associations should not feel scared and rather should take part in the deliberations of the Workshop.

I would like to emphasize that from the point of view of sustainable fisheries, the contribution of the turtle to the marine fishing resources along with the long-term impact of the fishing regulations by foreign countries on our shrimp exports should be discussed in these technical sessions.

Vote of thanks by Sri Chitta Ranjan Behera, Advisor to Project Swarajya At the end of Inaugural Session of the Workshop on TED

Before I propose a vote of thanks I would like to speak a few words on the question that has been raised from some quarters, i.e. why should we consider sea turtle as an endangered species? As you know, the animals like dog, cat, goat, sheep, hen, horse, cow, buffalo and the like are not considered endangered species, though all of them are very useful for human beings in many ways, and some of which are also daily slaughtered in large numbers for the purpose of meat. The reason perhaps is that man can culture and reproduce these species in as many numbers as necessary. But we can't possibly culture and reproduce the sea turtles, since they need vast spreading oceans and peculiar coastal eco-systems to breed, feed and grow. Sea turtles are therefore an exhaustible natural resource. That is why the efforts are foot to conserve the sea turtles.

I on behalf of the Organisers of the Workshop extend our heart felt thanks to Sri Santosh Kumar Mohapatra, Chairman Paradip Port Trust who spent his valuable time in inaugurating and addressing the Workshop. We express our gratitude to Sri Aurobinda Behera, M.D Orissa State Disaster Mitigation Authority and Special Relief Commissioner for his keen interest and deliberation as the Chief Guest of the Workshop. Let me tell you that Sri Behera is a great turtle lover. As I fondly remember, once in 1997 when myself and some colleagues were camping at Rusikulya mouth for monitoring the turtle nesting, Sri Aurobindo Behera who was then RDC (South) had reached across to the beach in the dead of night and that too in a small boat, accompanied by several officers, Collectors, Sub-Collectors, ADMs and PD DRDAs, just to see what was happening there.

We are thankful to Sri Man Mohan Praharaj, IG Orissa Police, who could attend and address this Workshop despite his tight schedule. We are indebted to Sri Ambika Prasad Tripathy, Chief Wildlife Warden, Orissa and two of his Research Officers, Dr.C.S.Kar and Dr.Sudhakar Kar for their unstinted cooperation in the matter of organizing this Workshop. We are grateful to Dr.B.C.Choudhury of Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, and the National Coordinator of UNDP-GOI Sea Turtle Project for having provided the grant for holding this Workshop. Needless to mention that Dr.Bivas Pandav, the scientist of WII, who is now carrying forward a separate project on TED and who has been all along a part of the organizing team of the present Workshop, deserves our sincere gratitude.

Our heartfelt thanks go to the trawl owners, who have assembled here in large numbers hailing from various parts of coastal Orissa and have already shown their keenness and enthusiasm for participation in the proceedings of the Workshop on TED, which as somebody told is a bread and butter question for all of them.

Our sincere gratefulness goes to Sri Ch. Hari Das, Assistant Commissioner of Fisheries, Govt of India for attending this Workshop on TED despite our invitation made only short period back. We are filled with a sense of indebtedness to the scientists of Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT), Fishery Survey of India (FSI) and Central Institute of Fisheries Nautical Engineering Technology (CIFNET), who have come all the way from afar to serve as the Resource Persons for deliberation and demonstration on TED in course of this four day long programme on Workshop. The representatives of Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), Coast Guard, print and electronic media including Doordarshan and OTV, and officials of Forest and Fisheries Departments of the State are deserving of our gratitude for their positive response to our invitation for taking part in the Workshop.

Last but not the least, the Commissioner-cum-Secretary Fisheries Sri A.K.Tripathy has shown his keen interest in furthering the cause of a genuine debate around TED involving the trawl owners themselves, the very mandate of this Workshop and therefore deserves our heart felt gratitude.

With regards to all the participants for taking ahead successfully the agenda of the Workshop despite some difficulties, I thank you all.