The 45-day annual ban on deep sea fishing along the East Coast of Tamil Nadu will commence from April 15. Fisheries officials said here today the State government imposes the ban under the provisions of the Deep Sea Fishing Regulation Act, 2001 every year between April 15 and May 29 to facilitate breeding of fishes and conservation of fish stock in marine ecology in the region. Fishermen of Mechanised fishing boats have been instructed not to venture into the sea to avoid disturbance caused by trawlers to marine life during the breeding season. In Tamil Nadu, the ban would be imposed from Tiruvallur district in the north to Kanyakumari district in the south. The fisheries department in all the coastal districts along the East Coast would stop issuing mandatory tokens to Mechanized boat fishermen. However, the conventional fishing with traditional Catamaran and Country boats has been exempted from the ban. The ban is in line with International standards and practices. Countries like the US, Spain and Australia impose similar bans every year and in India, it was Kerala which first imposed the ban in 1988. Due to the ban, as many as 800 registered mechanized boats in Rameswaram Island, one of the Major Marine Food Centres in South India would keep off the sea. Meanwhile, the fisheries department has advised the fishermen of mechanized fishing boats to strictly adhere to the ban order. The mechanised trawlers venturing into the sea were directed to return to the shores before commencement of the ban period. Fishermen violating the ban order would be subjected to stern action and the enforcement agencies such as Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and the Coastal Security Group of Tamil Nadu Marine Police would be involved in joint patrolling to prevent illegal fishing activities, the sources added.