This is the time for mechanised fishing boats, moored at Thoothukudi fishing harbour, to undergo overhauling. The fishing harbour witnesses hectic waterfront activities as maintenance work on most of Thoothukudi’s fishing boats has started. Fishing operations stopped when the government imposed the 45-day ban on fishing by mechanised boats along the east coast on April 15. The ban is imposed to avoid disturbance caused to marine life by trawl fishing during the fish breeding season. S. Xavier Vas, president, Thoothukudi Mechanised Boat Owners’ Association, said most of the boat owners had to spend more for painting steel body boats. The fishing harbour had a fleet of around 240 mechanised boats most of them steel body boats. Every steel body boat warrants an expenditure of Rs. 2 lakh on painting alone, he told The Hindu here on Wednesday. A large boat would require an expenditure of Rs. 6 lakh to Rs. 10 lakh for major overhauling works, including engine works, and a medium boat Rs. 3 lakh to Rs. 4 lakh. The works on small boats would involve an expenditure of Rs. 1 lakh to Rs. 2 lakh, he said. The boat owners would also repair damaged wooden planks in their boats, besides mending nets. Mr. Vas said barnacles, which attached themselves to the bottom of the boats, could be removed only during dry docking. If they were not removed, the weight of the boats would increase, leading to additional diesel consumption. Big boats need at least 6-10 days for the work and small boats three days, he said. S. Joe Boy, a boat owner, said wooden boats would incur an expenditure of Rs. 50,000, whereas steel body boat entailed more expenditure on anti-corrosive paint. While most of the mechanised boat fishermen were engaged in repair works, some fishermen continued fishing in country boats, which was not restricted. During the ban period, boat owners could hardly manage the expenditure on overhauling and repairing boats, and obtained huge loans from banks. The State government should consider waiving the loans obtained by small mechanised boat owners during the lean period as it did in the case of farmers who got agricultural loans from banks. If it was not possible, a grace period should be announced for repayment of bank loans after the fishing ban period, Mr. Boy said.