India court cracks down on unlicensed shrimp farms

The Madras High Court of India won’t tolerate shrimp farms that operate without licenses.

On 5 August, the first bench of the court – chaired by Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice T. S. Sivagnanam – instructed the Tamil Nadu Government to take action against any prawn aquaculture activity being carried out in a village in Villupuram District without proper licensing.

“The action for verification of the entitlement to hold the land is liable to be expedited and demarcation process to proceed quickly. If no valid license is in existence, action has to be taken to stop the prawn culture activity,” the justices said, as reported by The Hindu.

Petitioners appeared before the court arguing for the closure of the aquaculture industry in the area, which resides over approximately 3,500 acres. Upwards of 100 shrimp farms have been operating illegally and have thus caused detriment to the marine ecosystem and surrounding villages, the petitioners said during the hearing.

While 25 shrimp farmers did obtain licenses from the District Collector, those licenses were later invalidated during District Level Coastal Aquaculture Authority Committee Meeting, and have not been renewed.

The ruling gives the government until 30 October 2015 to file a compliance report.

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