11.   Hundreds of Indian fishing boats blockaded four foreign trawlers in the western port of Mormugao in November to deamnd an overhaul of the government policy.

12.   Indian MPs sought a ban Monday on fishing by foreign trawlers in Indian waters, saying they were threatening the earnings of hundreds of thousands of local fishermen.

13.   Advani criticised the opening up of the consumer goods sector to multinationals, and the permits given by New Delhi to foreign trawlers to fish in Indian waters.

14.   Canada claims it is preventing foreign trawlers from fishing off its coast in international waters to preserve dwindling fish stocks.

15.   This was picked up by former federal fisheries minister John Crosbie who said the authority to arrest foreign trawlers in international waters could come only with United Nations agreement.

16.   Problems include illegal fishing by foreign trawlers near the Moluccan Islands.

17.   The MPs said most Indian fishermen were finding it impossible to compete with sophisticated foreign trawlers.