Government mulls relief for damaged nets

CHENNAI:  In a move that could give a major boost to conservation of sea turtles along the Chennai coast, the government is in the process of considering a proposal to provide monetary incentives to fishermen who release sea turtle that get entangled in their nets. The proposal is under consideration of certain government departments, which are examining its various aspects.If it comes through, the number of sea turtle fatalities due to fishing operations will reduce. The incentive, proposed at `1,950 for every turtle released from the net, is also aimed at compensating fishermen for the loss of fishing opportunity and covering their expenses in the process.“The proposal is currently with the Fisheries Department. The biggest problem is funding. We just don’t have the budget to take this up immediately. So, we are also considering the possibility of bringing in corporates to fund the initiative under their Corporate Social Responsibility programmes,” said a  source.The idea, proposed by a city-based NGO in February 2011 to the then Chief Wildlife Warden, entails a sum of up to `500 for damages to the fishing net in the process of releasing the turtle, `450 for diesel spent and `1,000 to account for the fishing effort lost for three of four persons. The initiative is expected to be transparent as fishermen would have to come back to shore and contact local Forest officials to witness the release, before collecting the amount.