Absence of demarking of maritime boundaries is a vulnerable issue!

Indian fish market was worth INR 1,233 Billion in 2019. Accounting for nearly 6% of global fish production, India today represents one of the largest producers of fish in the world. Both, domestic consumption as well as the export of fishes have witnessed strong growth in India over the last few years. The per capita consumption of fish has also shown continuous growth over the last several years.
But the fishermen facing several problems under the deep sea. The absence of demarking of maritime boundaries is a vulnerable issue and it creates disputes between India and neighboring countries. Due to the absence of demarking fishermen foray deep into the sea while fishing and often crosses the boundaries.

Why there are disputes for fishing?

There are several reasons behind disputes for fishing between India and neighboring countries.
The fishing sector is a large and rising sector for India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka. Due to the global market and for healthy income fishermen go deep far away from the boundaries.
Inadequate knowledge about maritime boundaries, not having navigation tools for proper guidance, unable to understanding longitudinal lines carries fishermen afield from physical boundaries.
Refinery oil setups, lots of plastic deposition, discharge of effluents from coastal industries cause more pollution near the coastal area and there is no catch near the coast and hence fishermen venture deep into the ocean areas.
One of the important factors is the warming of the sea. The scientist has proven that there is the warming of the sea near the coastal areas but fishes usually prefer cold places for spawning and living so it ventures fishermen go deep into the sea. As per the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, sea surface temperature has gone up by 0.8°c from 1950 to 2010.

Concern for fishermen

Pakistan today holds 270 Indian fishermen and India has 97 Pakistani fishermen. 185 boats seized by the Sri Lanka navy between Jan 2015 and Jan 2018.
https://thewire.in/south-asia/india-pakistan-cross-border-prisoners-fishermen

As per the above information we get to know about how fishermen suffer through this burning issue. Fishermen put behind bars due to enter other countries’ boundaries, they suffer from so many misbehaving. It takes a number of years by countries to release fishermen from prison, due to a slow judiciary process, fishermen got disconnected from their families and thus family suffers through trauma. They treated as prisoners of war, abysmally and poorly.

Governments need to take care of fishermen

Joint judicial committee between India and Pakistan should revive. The last meeting held in 2013.
The maritime boundary agreements of 1974 and 1976 delimited international boundaries in the Palk Bay and Gulf of Mannar and Bay of Bengal.
Through incentives and persuasion, fishermen from the Palk Bay could be encouraged to switch over to deep-sea fishing in the Indian exclusive economic zone and in international waters. A Census of fishermen in coastal areas should have to take.
The Indian coast guard has also begun installing tracking devices.
Installation of a GPS tracker necessary.
Boats of fishermen should have to release.
Governments of all coastal countries need to concentrate on coastal lines and the lives of fishermen to avoid this conflict.