I just want to analyse in some more detail what Sri Dillip Kumar Sahoo, my colleague, spoke about the extra cod end.
As you saw, the haul with extra cod end could fetch 41 to 42 kg of fish, and fish loss as noticed from the extra cod end was about 5% according to the fishery officers. Why did Dillip Babu not agree with this percentage?
Now let me tell something more about the extra cod end. Our net is funnel shaped, its mouth wide open, while the back is narrow and closed. The last portion of the net is the cod end, which remains closed by a knot. This knot is unlocked after the haul is pulled up. While the trawling is in operation, the throat of the cod end is never bound with any object. A foot chain is bound to the net so as to make it touch the ground. And to keep the mouth open, a float is attached to the upper part of the mouth. On both sides of the net, two Otter Boards are fitted to the net to ensure its later opening during trawling. Wire ropes are used to bind the Otter Boards, which are kept hanging on both sides. The fishes, which are pushed forward by the pressure of the water current, do ultimately, get deposited in the cod end, while the water is automatically flushed out. This is how we do trawling.
The TED is an oval-shaped metal ring having several metal bars. It is fitted at the throat of the cod end. Its function is to allow the turtle, which accidentally gets into the net to escape through an opening kept at the top. My question is, when the turtle escapes, will not the fishes escape too?
Let me again remind you about the extra cod end. A float is attached to the mouth of the extra cod end, in order to keep the mouth open. Another float is attached at the tail of the extra cod end, as a result of which, the tail end is kept up with the mouth remaining open downwards. Thus the extra cod end is positioned just like a bag with its open mouth and handle downwards. Naturally all the fishes will move downwards except the living fishes which might remain inside the extra cod end with their effort. The percentage of fish loss would therefore remain as low as, say 5%. Our trawler brother was intelligent enough to suggest removal of this extra cod end. In the first haul with extra cod end, 42 kg and in the second cod end without extra cod end, 23 kg. Now every body, even a 7th class student can say how much loss we incurred.
Even as regards the claim of the TED specialists that small fishes won't escape, it has been found that this is not practically true also.
The scientists of CIFT themselves admit in their paper (CIFT TED: Construction, Installation and Operation - by Percy Dawson and M.RBhoopendranath, Central Institute of Fisheries Technology, PO- Matsyapuri, Cochin-682 029 , published in Fishing Chimes, December 2001 ) that the big fishes of more than 6 inches width would escape through the TED hole. Let me now quote from the article written by CIFT scientists about their design of TED.
"TED is a frame consisting of a grid of bars installed before the cod end of the trawl net, at an angle leading upward and downwards to an escape slit. Small animals such as shrimp, slip through the bars and are retained in the cod end, while large animals such as turtles, large fishes and large elasmobranches are stopped by grid bars and can escape through opening. "
When this is their admission and again in view of what Dillip Babu said, is it not your effort to tantalize us to use TED by way of attractive advertisements and thereby get it imposed on us?
Now coming to the question of death of sea turtles in the trawl nets, let me tell you that the Government of India in the Ministry of Agriculture had formed one Expert Panel to know the factors of death of sea turtles. In their Report they have given some data on their study of year-wise incidental catch of turtles in 1997-98 for the States like West Bengal, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Tamilnadu, Kerala, Kamataka, Gujurat, Maharastra and Goa. Let us see the figures of Orissa. Only 35 turtles were killed by the trawl nets in Orissa coast, which meant only 13.9% of the total death of turtles. Number of turtles that died due to gill netting was 163, which meant 64.7%, due to others gears 54, that meant 21.4%. Total landing of the dead turtles covering all gears was 252. However, according to the same Report as many as 10,665 turtles had died due to stranding. Can you challenge this Report, which is a Government Report? Even if we might challenge this Survey Report, you the Government Officers can't. Now what do you feel to be the major cause of sea turtle mortality in our coast? I am sure, it has not been investigated by the scientists so far, though the Government is already out to impose a draconian measure in the form of TED on our trawling community.
In view of the paucity of time, I won't speak more. We have circulated today a Memorandum of Nikhil Orissa Trawler Owners Co-ordination Committer amongst you. I want to read out and explain some of its salient points before you.
Our first demand is, when the turtle congregation takes place within 3 to 4 km off the coast line during a specific season of the year, the law prohibiting fishing up to 20 km off the coastline should be amended.
Before we the trawl owners are asked to bear any additional burden, the Government should help the trawling industry recover from its existing sickness. Since the last super cyclone, tripling of the cost of raw materials made our industry sick. In the last October 2001, our industry became virtually defunct. We placed our position before the Director of Fisheries and Minister of Fisheries, who knew about our sickness. So before prohibiting us from fishing upto 20 km off the coastline, first the Government should make necessary efforts to restore health to our industry.
As you might know, 20-25 km off the coastline is the potential fishing zone, where planktons grow and chlorophyll content of water is more, and wherefore the fishes come in large numbers for breeding and feeding. So we should not be deprived of our right to fishing in this zone on the grounds of turtle conservation.
The next point concerns the unnatural mortality of sea turtles, for which so many factors are responsible. Long migration of sea turtles resulting in their exhaustion, fast degrading coastal environment, water pollution due to discharge of toxic chemical effluents from the industries, death due to delivery and post-delivery complications, spread of sea epidemics, predations by hunting animals, oxygen deficiency in the air and the like are various factors, about which no serious research has been done, or no serious effort made to address to them. So the trawler industry should not be blindly blamed for the death of sea turtles.
From yesterday's fishing results of 4 trawlers, it has been proved beyond doubt that TED if used shall bring down the fish catch level by 50%. The CIFT scientists who came here told that the trawl owners of Andhra Pradesh, after their initial hesitancy to accept TED, were convinced about its viability later on and thereafter vied with each other to take and apply TED in their trawl nets. Having heard this, we thought to ourselves, are we ignorantly committing something wrong and against our interest? Then yesterday evening we talked over telephone with them and asked whether TED was benefiting them? They replied, 'Who said? They (the Government) freely gave some TEDs, which we took. But we are sure, with TED we won't be able to catch fish. We have registered our protest with the Minister against TED. Please arrange a Workshop for the trawlers associations of East Coast of India, where we shall unitedly raise our voice against the injustice of imposing TED on us.'
Now the officials of Fisheries Dept. who were our well wishers over decades, are now being misguided and set too against the trawl owners.
Why this conspiracy? The mystery behind this game should be exposed.
The CIFT Scientists who were present during the experimental trawling have themselves seen the kind of loss we are incurring on account of using TED. So let them invent a device, which won't cause any loss to the fish catch and at the same time exit the turtle from our trawl net, which we shall gladly accept.
If somebody suggests a new device in place of TED, it should be subject to experimental trawling for at least one year at the Government level and thereby its economic viability for our trawling industry tested out, before any instruction is given to the trawl owners for its use. As you know, different fishes are available in different grounds in different seasons. Only by holding 3 to 4 experimental hauls occasionally, we cannot arrive at a conclusion on the economic viability of the new device. The Fisheries Dept. have the adequate infrastructure, which they can use for at least one year of experimental fishing with new device under their exploratory fisheries programme. If the CIFT discovers any new device in place of TED, it should be subject to continuous trial to find that there is no fish loss at all while trawling. The Fishery Dept. should undertake this trial. Earlier, the Fisheries Dept. advised us to go for the nets we are now using. Here is present Mr.S.N.Sarkar, District Fisheries Officer, Balasore who once insisted that we should use high opening nets. We used it and got bumper harvest of Pomp rets. Thus the Fisheries Dept. should first of all test the viability of new device. And then we shall use it, no doubt. Otherwise, no businessman or trawl owner shall accept a device, which goes against his bread and butter.
Now there are already some protected and fishing prohibited areas for the sake of turtle conservation. Why again further expansion of the 'no fishing zone'. The scientists here told that the turtle congregation takes place within 3 to 4 km off the coastline. If so, why the coastal waters upto 20 km be kept as 'no fishing zone'? Then again, why further prohibitions? You can hang a person for once. But in our case, we are being hung to death several times. First, we were told not to enter into some areas for fishing. When we abided by such restrictions, we are now being told to fish only with the help of TED, otherwise we won't be permitted to fish anywhere at all. Our freedom to fish in the sea is being encroached upon systematically. So our plea is, 'Give us freedom of fishing in the sea'.
There is no demarcation of conserved or prohibited areas in the sea, by way of putting buoys along the borderlines, despite our request several times in different forums in the past. If by chance we enter into a prohibited area, we are immediately caught and treated inhumanly as if we are not the citizens of the State.
If a trawler is seized once, the crews have to pay a heavy fine of Rs.l000/- per head. Moreover, they would be beaten so badly that they would remain bed ridden and can't come out of home for at least 15 days. Such type of atrocities as in the form of seizure of boats, nets and fishes, beating of the crews and lingering of the cases for months on end etc. should be stopped. The concerned rules and regulations should be simplified so as to ensure quick disposal of the cases.
Earlier we were under the exclusive control of the Fisheries Dept. Now we are under the control of several Departments. Forest Department and Wildlife Officials are now controlling us. We should be under the control of one Department i.e. Fisheries Department. Let other Departments interact with the Fisheries Department, if they have any thing to do with the fishermen. We should not be subject to administration, disciplinary action and exploitation by several Departments at a time.
The trawl owners should not be compelled to use TED. The huge amount of money being spent in the name of turtle conservation by UNDP and Central Government should not be wasted away. A fraction of this amount should be given to the trawl owners as compensation against a total closure of trawler industry during the season of turtle nesting. This is the Resolution of Trawlers Association. So far we trawl owners have been branded as killers of turtle and destroyer of environment. We don't want to be made a scapegoat for turtle death any longer. If our industry is closed during turtle season, there won't be a chance at all for any body to raise his finger against us. Why should we use TED? Why should you guard against us? Why should the Govemment spend crores of rupees after petrol and diesel for guarding against us? Also why there shall be any ground for corruption of the turtle money? To put all these unhappy possibilities at rest, we would close our industry during turtle season against compensation, of course.
As you might know, in an effort to conserve the forests, awareness is being created among the people living in and around the forests alongside of the development of their economic standard, so that their dependence on the forest woods would be checked, and their act of illegal tree felling stopped thereby. If you think we are thieves (truly speaking, we are not thieves), we won't fish for 3 months. But we can't allow our family members to starve during this period. Ifwe sacrifice our self-interest for the interest of the whole world, we should be prized, rather than punished.
While our industry shall remain closed, we won't sit silent. We shall raise an army of volunteers, who shall guard the nesting beaches to ensure turtle protection.
In honour of the self-sacrifice to be so made by the trawl owners, let the Government provide financial assistance for their crews and staff and other fishermen, so that the latter be enabled to engage themselves whole-heartedly in the turtle conservation activities.
Our request to the participants of this Workshop is that they should not segregate us from them, and not brand us as turtle killers. Rather they should accept us as one among themselves, the turtle lovers. Thanks
President Sri T.K. Behera, Joint Director of Fisheries,Orissa
Now it is going to be 2pm. Now I request Dr. Pandav to speak.
I have been trying to interact with every body. During these days of Workshop, interaction has further progressed. I assure, such interaction shall continue from my side. Because the work I have undertaken won't be successful without co-operation of the trawl owners. Every body shall admit it too.
Sri Kameswar Babu just told that the forest can't remain protected without the co-operation of forest dwellers. Now that the trawlers who work in the sea and themselves want conservation of sea turtles, nothing would succeed without the co-operation of these sea-farers. I don't have any hesitation in taking your co-operation.
Since I have been quoted at several contexts, now I want to speak on 2 to 3 points only. I confess that I am not an experienced man in this field as you people are. You have been trawling for 25 years, but I have trawled only for 25 days. Within this short period I have made about 32 trawls at different depths. I have not trawled in distant areas, of course. There is the problem of wire rope. The boat is a small one too. As you know, there are several other problems associated with Government Agencies.
You have trawled in deeper waters. You go on voyage fishing. I have of course sent my research fellow to accompany the voyage fishing. They are collecting data. It is true, maximum number of turtles do congregate in near shore waters, i.e. within 5 km off the coastline. It does not however mean that the turtles are not there beyond 5 km. But congregation takes place within 5 km.
Out of 30 hauls I made, in 14 hauls I found turtles in my net. But no turtle was found dead. Because I used to trawl only for 1 hour duration. If trawling exceeds 1 hour, a turtle getting inside the net shall develop stress and die surely. If I had not stopped my hauls at the end of 1 hour, the entrapped turtles would have certainly died. What I say is the truth, which you may accept or not.
Let me tell before every body what Kameswar Babu said the other day disparagingly to me, "So many broiler children like you are hanging around here". For your information, I started my work in 1993 and from 1994 onwards have been working along Orissa coast. In every turtle season, about 6 to 7 times I survey the entire coast of Orissa, starting from Digha in the north to Ichhapuram in the South. First I covered on foot, then on cycle and thereafter on a motorcycle. From 1995 to 1999, I myself counted 47,600 dead turtles. I know there are several reasons for death of turtles, not the only reason of its entanglement in the trawl net. Turtles are also killed in large numbers by gill nets. Recently in one haul of the gill net, as many as 38 turtles were killed, as observed by Dr.Kar ( Dr.C.S.Kar, Scientist, Office of he Chief Wildlife Warden, Orissa). I was not there on that day, of course.
A Participant
His question was not audible to others except Dr. Pandav.
Dr. Bivas Pandav, Scientist, Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun
The gill net is set about 200 to 300metres off the coastline.
A Participant
His question was not audible to others except Dr. Pandav.
Dr. Bivas Pandav, Scientist, Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun
Ilisha net, Bhekhi net etc. are being set.
A Participant
His question is inaudible.
Dr. Bivas Pandav, Scientist, Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun
The depths of Gahirmatha have been well studied.
A Participant
His question is inaudible.
President Sri T.K. Behera, Joint Director of Fisheries
Please listen to Dr. Pandav, who is carrying a study on the subject. Let him finish his speech first.
A section of audiences
Shouts
President Sri T.K. Behera, Joint Director of Fisheries
In due course I shall allow others to speak their point of view. You should interact with Dr. Pandav after he finished his talk. Let Dr. Pandav continue his talk.
Participants
Questions inaudible.
Dr. Bivas Pandav, Scientist, Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun
Once I trawled for 90 minutes. One turtle was alive, while the other one was in a state of comatose. We kept the distressed turtle for half an hour on the deck and allowed it to recover. Then we released it to the sea. Let me tell you again that turtle is being killed in several ways, not by trawling only, by gill net also.
Participant
Question inaudible.
Dr. Bivas Pandav, Scientist, Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun
The turtle can't survive in a condition of stress for more than 30 to 40 minutes.
Participants
Questions not audible.
Dr. Bivas Pandav, Scientist, Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun
Yes. A turtle can stay under water on sea floor for 3 to 4 hours without any activity. But when it does some activity, even while searching for food, it comes to surface every 20 to 30 minutes to breathe. Just as we sleep on a cot for 6 hours at a stretch in the night breathing slowly, the turtle similarly takes rest on sea floor for 3 to 4 hours. Just imagine, when a man runs he breathes heavily but while sleeping he breathes slowly. Similar is the case with turtles.
Participants
Question inaudible.
Dr. Bivas Pandav, Scientist, Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun
The turtle biology has been studied well. There is no place for irrelevant argument.
A section of participants
Shouts
President Sri T.K. Behera, Joint Director of Fisheries
Please be silent. You should allow Dr. Pandav to finish his speech. You should not be impatient. If any question still remains unclarified, we can discuss those in the next session. Now to save time, please allow Dr. Pandav to continue his talk.
Dr. Bivas Pandav, Scientist, Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun
My request to you (trawl owners) is to see, if you can control the near-shore trawling, the turtle mortality can be greatly reduced. The near-shore trawling is also banned under OMFRA rules. Near-shore trawling is taking place in Paradip and Astarang areas. If a trawl gets into the congregation zone of turtles, the shoals of turtles get into the net in large numbers and die. If you can avoid fishing within 5 km, the turtle mortality can be largely reduced.
About TED use, it depends on a policy decision. I am just an observer on this issue. Sri Dillip Kumar Sahoo (Trawl owner) told about the float that is attached to the 2nd cod end. I have decided to instruct our volunteers to cut off the float and shall observe what happens next. I shall share the findings with you and go on interacting with you. I am confident; truth will come out one day. I am here up to the end of April. Beyond April it won't be possible for fishing. The turtle season shall also be over by that time.
I sincerely want that at least one of you should accompany our trawling team every day to share the findings. You please see whether the work we do is in right direction or not. We had been to Astarang and Nuagarh, where the fishermen co-operated with us wholeheartedly.
I am new to the fishing industry. I don't know about trawling. I don't know what is cod end, throat and the like. Here only I have started learning from you people. I am called a scientist, but that does not mean I know more than you. If there are mistakes in our experiment, please suggest their rectification. I shall definitely act accordingly. By end of April our work shall be over and the findings shall come out.
I also know how much is the fuel cost and other operational costs. At the same time I know how much fish is caught. Every day I spend Rs.1,000/- on fuel cost but don't get even a fish catch of Rs 300/- to Rs. 400/-. I do trawl for one hour of course Don't think, without taking into confidence you people, anything can be done.
I don't want that TED should be imposed on you. Only after the Government holds exhaustive dialogue with you on your demands, problems, grievances and points of view, the programme on TED might start. That is my personal opinion. Thanks.
President Sri T.K. Behera, Joint Director of Fisheries
Now I request the Assistant Commandant Coast Guard to speak briefly about their views.
As a leader of the trawlers association told, there existed a good relationship between the trawler owners and Coast Guard through out till last year and I believe it still exists.
During last 3 months we received 4 requests from them and recovered all the 4 boats and safely landed them. As you might know, to recover a single boat lost or stranded in the sea, a ship has to patrol for 4 to 5 days, costing 5 to 10 lakh of rupees per day, which include the salary for the manpower, cost of diesel and maintenance of the ship.
Every body ought to know that we are not behind the trawlers. We are a law enforcing agency of the Government. As and when the Government want to enforce certain rules through our agency, we are duty bound to enforce them. We don't consider the trawlers as our enemies, since they are the people of India. We are yet to fight with the enemies from outside. And as such we don't fight with our Indian people. You all are Indians, who are fishing here. We won't apprehend you, until and unless we are directed by the Government to enforce certain rules which you are not observing. If you fish in the Gahirmatha Sanctuary area, we shall certainly apprehend you. We simply apprehend you and hand over to the officials of State Forest Department, since your activity is covered under the concerned Act of the Forest Dept, and under no other Act. Whatever happens thereafter is between you and the State Government. So we Coast Guard are not to be blamed for so-called harassment to the people. You the trawl owners have to clear the platform with the State Government first to find out the rules, which shall be suitable to both you and the State Government. Then the Government shall direct us to go for the necessary action.
We shall continue to extend our co-operation to the fishermen as in the past, whether in terms of locating a boat lost in the sea, or towing ashore a boat stranded due to engine failure. This is a duty for us, as assigned by the Government. We protect our sea, which means that we protect you, your crews and vessel against any jeopardy in the sea. We also protect marine life as required by the Government. So please don't harbour a feeling that Coast Guard is behind you or even the Government is behind you. As a matter of fact, no body is behind you. You have to sort out the things at the policy level.
I want therefore to say to the trawlers association that you sort out with the State Government to find a suitable policy. Please don't enter Gahirmatha area, which is a sanctuary area. So far we have not apprehended any body on grounds of TED Whatever boats we have apprehended till date, were found fishing illegally within the sanctuary area of Gahirmatha. They were doing active fishing at the time of apprehension. The way some people spoke that they could not know the demarcation of sanctuary area and entered into it accidentally, is completely false. The island of Gahirmatha is clearly visible. How come they fished in its vicinity? Moreover, the moment they see us approaching them from a distance, they instantly move away to the nearest beach, knowing fully well that our craft can't land on the beach. You people should know that we too know your tactics.
So my suggestion is that you please finalise with the Government. as regards the fishing or no fishing in Gahirmatha area. If it is finalized that fishing is permissible in that area, we won't apprehend you.
Besides we have so many jobs to do. As you know, the national security is at stake. Apprehending you people is not our essential duty, but one of several subsidiaries. So please harbour a positive feeling about Coast Guard that Coast Guard is there to help you and not to trouble you in any way, until and unless you do something against the law. and the Government direct us to catch you.
If you face any kind of problem in the sea, please do inform the Coast Guard, so that necessary action can be taken promptly. Thanks.
President Sri T.K. Behera, Joint Director of Fisheries
Now we shall be shortly closing the pre-lunch session and starting the next session again at 3pm. Before I close this session I would like to request the CIFT scientist to clear the conceptual confusion that has been created on second cod end. He should explain whether this concept was right or wrong as briefly as possible.
Dr. Raghu Prakash R, Scientist, CIFT
When we are trawling, the fishes go into the cod end, from where they never come out. Forget TED, and do simple trawling with one, two or even three cod ends attached the belly of the net. Once the fishes enter any of the cod ends, they won't be able to come back because of the pressure of pulling the net.
The extra cod end is placed so that we can know how much fish escapes through TED hole.
Let me now explain your point regarding fishes again coming back from the extra cod end to the main cod end.
This (showing the diagram of TED-fitted net on slide) opening at the top is not in fact an opening in proper sense of the term. Here is a flap, which covers the hole all the time except when it opens under pressure.
Here is the extra cod end, where the escaping fishes go and are retained. They won't come back when you are pulling the net. The additional reason is that the flap works as a barrier covering the hole, thereby making it impossible for the fishes to come back and pass through it. The flap does not normally open unless it is pushed from below. Thus the fishes from either side won't move to and forth in a normal state. That is what I wanted to clarify.
The float is basically meant to keep the net in a proper shape during trawling. Is your doubt clear? I thank all the brothers sitting here for taking me as a friend of theirs and also for extending necessary help to us during our stay. Thanks.
President Sri T.K.Behera, Joint Director, Fisheries
I hope your Institute (Central Institute of Fisheries Technology) will be with us. What is wanted now is modification of the design of TED, which we shall suggest to you as soon as Recommendation/Resolution of this Workshop is finalized. Thank you very much.