The government has imposed a 65-day ban on fishing in the Bay of Bengal from Monday (May 20) to conserve marine fish and ensure its safe spawning. A notice issued by the Fisheries and Livestock Ministry on Sunday said the catching of all kinds of fish through water vessels and boats is restricted till July 23.
During this period, monitoring will be intensified at navigation entrances, and fishing boats will be completely prohibited. To prevent marine fish transport, seashore ice mills will operate at a limited capacity, and fishing vessels will be kept at anchor, reads the fisheries ministry press release. The government has allocated 86kg of rice to 311,062 fishing families each for 65 days as emergency alternative income or food aid for fishermen.