The Malpe Trawl Boat Fishermen’s Association has urged the State government to allow bull trawling to catch fish from September to November. In bull trawling, a fishing net is cast between two boats to catch fish in the sea. Addressing presspersons here recently, Ganesh Suvarna, president of the association, said that there were about 500 trawl boats operating from the Malpe fisheries harbour. Nearly 4,000 persons were directly and indirectly dependent on the operation of the trawler boats. These boats did their fishing within 12 nautical miles from the coast. The trawl boats did fishing on the surface of the sea during these three months, whereas afterwards, the fishing is done in the bottom. The trawl boats were different from the deep sea trawlers. The trawl boats used engines of 140 horsepower, whereas the deep sea trawlers were using engines above 350 hp. The trawl boats had been functioning for about five decades in Malpe. A trawl boat costs about Rs. 45 lakh and employs about six fishermen. The State government had banned bull trawling in 12 nautical miles from the coast in 2016. However, the trawl boats were carrying on fishing because of an informal agreement reached between the operators of deep sea trawlers, purse seine boats and traditional boats in Malpe. But in the current season, the owners of the deep sea trawlers and traditional (nadadoni) boats had ganged up against the bull trawlers stating that the latter should not be allowed to fish as their activity could lead to depletion of fish and also, fish famine. But if the trawl boats were not allowed to operate in these three months, it would hit their livelihood, he said. The owners of deep sea trawlers and traditional boats here were violating the rules. The deep sea trawlers should not use engines beyond 350 hp. The owners of deep sea trawlers in Malpe procured Registration Certificates for 350 hp, but actually used engines of 427 hp, 440 hp and 495 hp. So too the owners of traditional boats in Malpe were taking subsidised kerosene for engines of 8 hp, 9.9 hp and 15 hp, but were illegally using it for engines of 40 hp. A probe should be launched into these irregularities, Mr. Suvarna said.