Kochi, Jan. 5 Citing a UN Resolution A 208 (VII), the Seafood Exporters Association of India (SEAI) has questioned the need for providing detailed catch certificates for exports to the European Union. The International Maritime Organisation Resolution and its Annexure which was adopted at its 24 {+t} {+h} session states that catches obtained from a fishing vessel without a superstructure would require only simplified catch certificate. The SEAI has pointed out that almost all fishing vessels in the country will fall into this category, except for a few deep sea trawlers that operate out of Visakhapatnam.
Government officials, when contacted, said that they have taken cognisance of the matter and would follow it up after due consideration. But they said that the enforcement of the catch certification norms had resulted in ensuring an uninterrupted flow of seafood exports to the EU. Even formidable powers like the US have not challenged the catch certification directive, but have abided by it. And there is an imperative need to ban illegal, unrestricted and unregulated fishing across the world's fishing grounds, they added.
But they conceded that if only simplified catch certificates need to be provided it could mitigate the task of providing such certificates to the large fleet of boats operating along the country's coastline undertaking mere livelihood fishing and not commercial fishing.
The process could also reduce the heavy workload on institutions such as the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) which has now an arduous task of monitoring the activities of 2.5 lakh fishing boats along the country's extensive coastline. The magnitude of the task becomes all the more evident as the catch destined for the EU markets is just 1.5 lakh tonnes –just over two per cent of India's annual catch estimated at six million tonnes a year.
Dealing it bilaterally
Having ensured uninterrupted exports to Europe, there is a possibility of generating consensus among fishermen of developing countries and taking up the issue bilaterally with the EU.
But all these will have to be undertaken only after detailed study of the resolution, its annexure and its implication for smaller boats of developing countries, the government sources said. If there is a strong and solid case, the issue could also be taken up with the World Trade Organisation.
The exporters said that if the gap between the wheelhouse and the side of the fishing vessel is more than four per cent of the breadth of the vessel, then the wheelhouse cannot be deemed to be a superstructure and the fishing vessel should not be considered as having a superstructure.
With this guideline, close to 97-98 per cent of Indian fishing boats will be having just a wheelhouse and not a superstructure, exempting them from detailed catch certificates.
The exporters said that there is a case for developing countries rallying together for the cause since most of their fishermen would be using traditional and small mechanised boats while the developed countries would be using large fishing vessels and ships along with huge factory vessels.
Also, the large vessels of the developed countries would be pursuing commercial fisheries on a huge scale which can pose serious threat to oceanic resources, while the smaller fishermen of developing countries would most often be pursuing sustenance fisheries.
India is a member of the International Maritime Organisation since 1959 and almost all seafaring countries of the world are also members of this organisation.
Source : Business Line