The traditional fishermen and the trawler boat owners are also getting ready for a legal battle against the light fishing being done at night. (Representational Image)

Mangaluru: Trawler boat owners held a a protest at the Mangaluru Harbour on Tuesday against the use of powerful lights for fishing by purse seine boats along the coast here after the state high court ruled in their favour a few days ago.

The traditional fishermen and the trawler boat owners are also getting ready for a legal battle against the light fishing being done at night. Powerful lights are focused on the water, attracting the fish, which rise to the surface to be caught by the fishermen.

The method has always been a subject of contention between the purse seine boat fishermen and the trawler and traditional fishermen in the coastal belt. In 2016, the ministry of agriculture and fisheries had allowed light fishing in the EEZ subject to several conditions.

But on November 10, 2017 the Union government imposed a ban on harmful fishing methods using LED or artificial light and pair trawling in the EEZ.

Protesting the ban, purse seine boat owners approached the high court, which allowed them to continue light fishing subject to conditions imposed by the Union government in 2016. Responding to the order, Trawl Boat Owners Association president, Nithin Kumar, says the government has not argued its case properly against light fishing.

“We have decided to hold a general body meeting on Wednesday to decide our future course of action,” he told Deccan Chronicle, adding that the association could take the legal route to fight the purse seine fishermen.