A Master Mariner speaks out about fishing on the Indian coast . . .

Identity protected by request. Comments welcome:-

BTW: That article in Moneylife about another incident of loss of fishermen's lives off Kerala - I wish there would be some scathing reportage on the manner in which the fishing boats are allowed to operate. They display lights that are anything but Colreg compliant. They jam VHF frequencies with their ceaseless chatter seriously interfering with watchkeepers concentration and ability to send out/ listen in on safety/distress traffic. They always want/claim right of way - even when they are not engaged in fishing and thus are just power driven vessels. They cut across bows with gay abandon giving heart attacks to young OOW's who may have been given strict CPA's to maintain by Masters in their standing/nigt orders.

There is not a single 'no-fishing' zone established at the entrances by any of the coastal state governments for any of our busy ports. Mumbai port approaches are a nightmare for navigation due to the clutter of fishing boats. The DGS shrugs its shoulders (in reality it has no powers over fishing vessels and near coastal and inland waterways vessels). Coastal admins do not enforce even the basic requirements e.g. radar reflectors, proper nav lights, clear display of registry and name (so that ships can report violations), they do not publicise the means of lodging complaints e.g. contact details and address of office responsible etc - against navigation rule violations.

It's a mess. Those guys getting run over - they asked for it. I have no sympathy for them - having faced inumerable anxious moments myself in my career. All this whine they give about nav lights being costly or radar reflectors or painting their boats brightly (for better visual detection) is bunk. Or claiming that they have the right to impede safe navigation in constrained waters (e.g. port entrance zones) when they clearly know that the freighters too have every right to navigate in safety.

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This is the article referred to:-

http://www.moneylife.in/article/maritime-incidents-involving-fishermenmdasha-deeper-issue-impacting-our-global-economic-status/24024.html

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More of my stuff here:-

http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Diary-of-a-Divorced-Delhi-Male/
http://matescabin.blogspot.com/
http://joyroc.blogspot.com/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/vm2827/

Who is the real owner of the ENRICA LEXIE??

One of the more interesting aspects of the ENRICA LEXIE episode has to do with trying to figure out WHY the complete Italian Government machinery, along with really heavy duty support services like religion, PR, diplomats, and back-channel, are so interested in releasing this ship and the two armed mercenaries onboard.

And in the bargain, the REAL ownership of the vessel is not truly revealed, as well as the real purpose of the ship and what it was doing so close to Indian waters. After all, with armed guards onboard, she could have easily plotted a direct course to the Red Sea, instead of hugging the Indian coast, right?

Here's an interesting excerpt from a page on Italian law on the subject.

http://www.shiparrested.com/ship-arrest-in-italy-by-alberto-batini-bb-partners.html

read item 19 . . .

So, what about it, why is the ENRICA LEXIE so important to them??

2nd part of my report on the enrica lexie/St Antony case off Kerla

Murder most foul. And worse, the authorities are trying to wiggle out of things, too. First they let the ship escape. When that was foiled, they changed tactics to compensation.

Does nobody think of national security, national interest, and country's pride and honour??

http://www.moneylife.in/article/killing-of-indian-seafarers-in-cold-blood-off-keralamdashthe-case-of-the-st-anthony-and-enrica-lexie-part-2/23721.html

fv St. ANTONY/mt ENRICA LEXIE, murder of Indian fishermen

What's with the Italians on the high seas lately, anyways? A spate of MSC disasters, the RENA in NZ, the COSTA CONCORDIA in Italy and now this, the ENRICA LEXIE starts taking potshots at Indian seafarers (fishermen) off the Indian coast, and then not just murders them, but leaves them to die on the high seas?

Are we THAT gone as a country? Can anybody even imagine what the fate of Indian seafarers would have been if something even a fraction of this had happened on the Italian coast?

Let the Italian seafarers meet the media, to start with, don't let them hide behind the protection of the local State Government - which in any case is acting like an apologist.

http://moneylife.in/article/killing-of-indian-seafarers-in-cold-blood-off-keralamdashthe-case-of-the-st-anthony-and-enrica-lexia/23712.html

DP World Ports Valarpadam/Cochin Terminal - a Big unitised scam??

By some indications, this is a scam of larger proportions than the Commonwealth Games fiasco. Take a huge unnecessary project, inflate the costs, get your cronies to cover the inflated expenses by bringing in a private player like DP World in this case, and when the project obviously fails, cry wolf, and then get out 

http://moneylife.in/article/dp-world-ports-vallarpadam-container-terminal-the-numbers-behind-point-towards-another-huge-scam/20131.html

If anything, a full & proper enquiry should be done on how this high-cost white elephant came into being in the first case. There is room for good Kerala cuisine in Tihar Jail, too.

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Please read this?



http://moneylife.in/article/how-coastal-and-inland-shipping-has-been-allowed-to-die-and-what-needs-to-change-quickly/19609.html



      How coastal and inland shipping has been allowed to die and what needs
to change quickly
      September 09, 2011 01:38 PM |
      Veeresh Malik

Published at http://www.moneylife.in/

The wars of the present and the future are going to be fought using economic tools more than military might. Building this economic power requires the revival of seafaring strength that was allowed to deteriorate on account of a short-sighted and corrupt approach.

Before you take down a fence, you might want to know why the previous owner put it up.
- GK Chesterton

On cabotage in India, and the games that some entities play . . .

Where does national interest, security and the economy come in, or is the country up for sale again, to a bunch of people who will sell out for 30 pieces of silver? Or even less?

http://moneylife.in/article/on-the-push-to-change-cabotage-rules-largely-due-to-a-one-sided-contract-thats-harmful-to-cochin-port-trust/19438.html

On the push to change cabotage rules, largely due to a one-sided contract that’s harmful to Cochin Port Trust

""A one-sided contract between Cochin Port Trust, the landlord, and DP World Ports Vallarpadam Terminal, its tenant, has led to intense lobbying over cabotage rules. A local problem, which has more to do with a local solution, is being used as a catalyst to push a deeper agenda with a national bearing. The country's interests are at the stake, once again, for reasons that increasingly appear to be very shady  . . .""

Read on:-

http://moneylife.in/article/on-the-push-to-change-cabotage-rules-largely-due-to-a-one-sided-contract-thats-harmful-to-cochin-port-trust/19438.html