Fishermen, under the aegis of the Kerala Fisheries Coordination Committee (KFCC), which represents fisheries trade unions from various political affiliations, organized a march to the headquarters of the Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT) on Thursday, July 18, to protest against a U.S. ban on Indian wild-caught shrimp. The ban stems from the lack of Turtle Extruder Devices (TEDs) in Indian trawl nets, which facilitate the escape of marine turtles caught in the nets.
The committee stated that fishermen’s unions plan to meet with Fisheries Minister Saji Cherian on July 22 to discuss the pressing issues. Additionally, a state team will submit a petition to Parliament next week. Former Minister for Fisheries S. Sarma inaugurated the protest march to CIFT, attributing the ban to the narrow-mindedness of the U.S. shrimp lobby.
Speakers at the protest argued that marine turtles are not typically trapped in fishing nets along India’s west coast, a claim supported by a 2019 report from the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute. They also warned that Indian seafood exports to the U.S. could face additional hurdles in the name of marine mammal protection in the future.
Among the speakers at the protest were Matsya Thozhilali Congress president P. Ashokan, V. Dinakaran, Joseph Xavier Kalapurackal, and Charles George, the general secretary of the coordination committee and the Boat Owners’ Association.
Source: The Hindu