6 Maharashtra boats seized for illegal line fishing off Gujarat coast

Somnath: The Indian Coast Guard and Marine Police have seized six boats from Maharashtra engaged in illegal line fishing in the Arabian Sea off the Somnath coast. Among the seized boats, two fishing boats were found sharing the same license, as revealed by the Secretary of the Veraval Boat Association.

Numerous complaints have surfaced regarding the illegal line fishing activities of Maharashtra’s fishing boats in the waters of Gujarat, especially off the Gir Somnath and Porbandar coast. A few days ago, the office bearers of the Veraval Boat Association met with the Chief Minister and lodged a complaint. Subsequently, a joint operation by the Indian Coast Guard and the Marine Police resulted in the apprehension of six fishing boats from Maharashtra and Ratnagiri, engaged in illegal fishing in the sea off Gir Somnath.

Dinesh Vadavi, Secretary of the Veraval Fisherman Boat Association, exposed this scam and called for a thorough government investigation and strict action. Vadavi also emphasized that 250 to 300 fishing boats are involved in such illegal activities in the sea off Gir Somnath, making it imperative to address and prevent such practices.

Ramesh Phofandi, a local fisherman from Veraval, stated, ‘Our local fishermen are being attacked while attempting to stop these illegal fishing boats in the sea.’ DeshGujarat