TAD NewsDesk, Kolkata: The Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPDEA) is resolute to bring the much needed reforms in Marine products Act with state governments. This will persuade the US to lift the ban to make India more responsible for turtle prevention imposed two years back. Around 15 percent of total shrimps exports from India had been affected due to the ban by the US on import of sea caught shrimps from India.
In India, this sector of fishing and any kind of law and order in it is a state subject and are under the scrutiny of the local governments. The ban is exclusively on sea shrimps (catch shrimps) as they are supposed to be caught by vessels which do not include a turtle excluder.
A senior MPEDA official said,
“We are progressing well in dialogue to get the ban lifted. Now state governments will have to show their eagerness in strengthening laws against the offenders of turtle regulations. In the last two years, a lot of progress had been achieved in implementing fitting turtle excluder devices and almost all trawlers are fitted with such devices. But, the USA wants India to strengthen the act.”
He also added,
“We have written to the state governments including West Bengal to take necessary steps in modifying marine fishing regulations to facilitate us to take final remedial action to lift the ban which is hitting the country’s forex earning.”
Some states with more coastal areas like West Bengal and the southern states are a very hard hit. They have a very proliferating business into the arena and all the exports have stopped now.
In West Bengal alone, the loss is of around 1500-2000 crore a year.
Source: The Economic Times
