Unauthorized Movie Shoot Lands Kochi Boat Owners in Hot Water

Two boat owners in Kochi were fined Rs 2.5 lakh each for permitting a film crew to use their vessels without prior approval. The Fisheries Department discovered the boats operated without valid licenses during an inspection. The film crew lacked safety equipment, intensifying the violation.

In a crackdown on unauthorized use of fishing vessels, two boat owners in Kochi have been fined Rs 2.5 lakh each for allowing their boats to be used by a film crew without the necessary prior approvals from the Fisheries Department, officials announced on Thursday.

The inspection, which was prompted during the Indian Navy's 'Sea Vigil' coastal security exercise, revealed that the vessels, seized on Wednesday, had been operating without valid licenses for an extended period. Notably, one of the boats was found to be unfit for sea operations.

The Vypin Fisheries Marine Enforcement team discovered the infringements on the boats 'Bharat Ratna' and 'Bharat Sagar' around 1.30 pm in the Arabian Sea. Officials noted that the film crew of 33 aboard did not have safety equipment, and both boats were impounded at the Vypin Fisheries Marine Enforcement berth.

(With inputs from agencies.)