189
10 South Indian Trawl Fisheries – Assessing Their Governability
deploy 11 navy boats and 3–4 coast guard vessels in the region. As far as fi sheries
in the Palk Bay are concerned, the responsibilities of the coast guard and the navy
do not differ signi fi cantly. Both agencies are responsible for ensuring that fi shers do
not engage in the smuggling of people and goods. They therefore help to enforce the
following rules:
Trawlers are prohibited from crossing the IMBL;
–
Fishers must bear an identity card issued by the FD of Tamil Nadu;
–
Each trawler heading for sea requires a fi shing token for that particular day,
–
issued and signed by the FD;
Each trawler is allowed a maximum of fi ve members;
–
Each vessel may carry only a reasonable amount of diesel (enough for a regular
–
fi shing trip).
At the height of the civil war in Sri Lanka, the Indian navy and coast guard kept a
close eye on the Indian trawl fl eet, in fl icting severe punishments on those that violated rules. Although the civil war is now of fi cially over, these agencies still maintain
their surveillance.
Boat Owner Associations
The trawl boat owner associations constitute the third important governing actor in
the Palk Bay. The 10 landing centers in the Palk Bay count a total of 30 associations,
organized along the lines of caste, religion and political af fi liation. Boat owner associations usually have a committee headed by a president and a secretary and impose
a tax on sea-going boats (in the form of shrimp or money). They deal with matters
internal and external to the industry. The latter involves lobbying with government
for adequate protection and better (read more favorable) fi shing regulations. Sitdown strikes are a common method.
Internal responsibilities include mediating in disputes between trawl fi shers or in
con fl icts between trawl and small-scale fi shers. Associations apply their own set of
rules, norms and procedures in such instances. At the local level, boat owner associations interact substantially with the FD, in order to make complaints or negotiate
the scope and applicability of a particular government rule. FD of fi cials acknowledge that these associations are important, realizing that they require their cooperation for a variety of affairs.
The capacities of these associations, however, differ substantially from one landing
center to the next. Generally speaking, the more diverse the population in a particular
landing site, the weaker the association is. For example, in Rameswaram – the
human diversity hotspot in terms of caste, geographical origin and religion – boat
owners have established 13 associations. The competition that occurs between
associations in such centers tends to hinder cooperation. On the other extreme is
Jagathapatinam, where boat owners are united in a single association. In such
landing centers, associations enjoy substantial weight in local affairs.
10 South Indian Trawl Fisheries – Assessing Their Governability
deploy 11 navy boats and 3–4 coast guard vessels in the region. As far as fi sheries
in the Palk Bay are concerned, the responsibilities of the coast guard and the navy
do not differ signi fi cantly. Both agencies are responsible for ensuring that fi shers do
not engage in the smuggling of people and goods. They therefore help to enforce the
following rules:
Trawlers are prohibited from crossing the IMBL;
–
Fishers must bear an identity card issued by the FD of Tamil Nadu;
–
Each trawler heading for sea requires a fi shing token for that particular day,
–
issued and signed by the FD;
Each trawler is allowed a maximum of fi ve members;
–
Each vessel may carry only a reasonable amount of diesel (enough for a regular
–
fi shing trip).
At the height of the civil war in Sri Lanka, the Indian navy and coast guard kept a
close eye on the Indian trawl fl eet, in fl icting severe punishments on those that violated rules. Although the civil war is now of fi cially over, these agencies still maintain
their surveillance.
Boat Owner Associations
The trawl boat owner associations constitute the third important governing actor in
the Palk Bay. The 10 landing centers in the Palk Bay count a total of 30 associations,
organized along the lines of caste, religion and political af fi liation. Boat owner associations usually have a committee headed by a president and a secretary and impose
a tax on sea-going boats (in the form of shrimp or money). They deal with matters
internal and external to the industry. The latter involves lobbying with government
for adequate protection and better (read more favorable) fi shing regulations. Sitdown strikes are a common method.
Internal responsibilities include mediating in disputes between trawl fi shers or in
con fl icts between trawl and small-scale fi shers. Associations apply their own set of
rules, norms and procedures in such instances. At the local level, boat owner associations interact substantially with the FD, in order to make complaints or negotiate
the scope and applicability of a particular government rule. FD of fi cials acknowledge that these associations are important, realizing that they require their cooperation for a variety of affairs.
The capacities of these associations, however, differ substantially from one landing
center to the next. Generally speaking, the more diverse the population in a particular
landing site, the weaker the association is. For example, in Rameswaram – the
human diversity hotspot in terms of caste, geographical origin and religion – boat
owners have established 13 associations. The competition that occurs between
associations in such centers tends to hinder cooperation. On the other extreme is
Jagathapatinam, where boat owners are united in a single association. In such
landing centers, associations enjoy substantial weight in local affairs.