by Raj JUGERNAUTH

Enough is enough. The wreckage of two fishing vessels with loss of life has pulled the curtain on a scandal that has lasted too long. Some people have grown stinking rich with these tiny fibre glass hull fishing boats carrying not less than ten fishermen. But no investment seems to have been made in security equipment, and what is given to these fishing boats free of charge by the government is not used.

Why on earth should these fishing vessels, equipped with transponders to enable the ministry of Fishing to satellite track their whereabouts be switched off. As a matter of fact, all fishing companies have the guarantee that the course and fishing spots of their vessels are highly confidential and would never be shared with other companies.

Despite these guarantees, transponders are switched off by these vessels. And the monitoring system, which costs taxpayers a lot of money is just a joke. The ministry has no power to impose the compulsory use of transponders to Mauritian vessels when the project is to extend the use of that tracking equipment to all fishing vessels entering our exclusive economic zone.

The refusal to allow Mauritian authorities to track some vessels through transponders is coupled with another refusal. All fishing vessels should report, morning and afternoon, their position to the Port-Louis Harbour by radio after the broadcast of the twice daily weather report by that office. Most refuse to communicate their respective positions. The authorities cannot force them to do so. It is high time to legislate to render the use of transponders compulsory and the refusal to communicate positions by fishing vessels illegal and punishable by law.

But, most important of all, the security of the state is at stake with the lenient policy towards these companies. Mauritian seasoned fishermen, used to fish on these tiny fibre glass vessels, often talk about encounters from time to time with Sri Lankan fishing boats in the Saya de Malha region and other areas inside our exclusive zone. At each encounter, lobsters are exchanged for fish, as the Sri Lankans do not have an important and lucrative market for lobsters. History shows that one Sri Lankan fishing vessels was once seized in our waters and taken to Port-Louis.

But our limited control resources do not allow us to exert effective surveillance and encounters between these vessels and our fishing fleet could be a serious threat to security. It is not only lobsters and fish that might be changing hands. Arms and drugs could also be part of the bargain. As far as we know, no fishing vessel is searched on arrival at Port-Louis fishing port and disembarkation goes unhindered. One should remember that Sri Lanka is a lawless country with a long ongoing civil war.

Mauritian authorities had better enforce regulations and legislations with harsh sanctions against those vessels, Mauritian and foreign, not using transponders and refusing to communicate twice daily their position. It should be done not only for the sake of the security of those poor fishermen, but also in the name of national security and anti-drug campaign.