The 47-day ban on trawling operations in the waters off the coast of Kerala begins from the midnight of Tuesday. Signs of the beginning of the annual cycle were visible at the Kalamukku fish landing centre on Monday as the harbour saw depleted activities with workers on trawlers engaged in unloading nets from their boats for mending. Only traditional fishing boats, numbering around 22,000, will be allowed to engage in fishing operations in the 12 nautical mile region during the ban period even as a section of the fishing community has called for a ban on fishing activities extending up to 90 days. The ban has been imposed to allow fish species like oil sardines respite during their spawning season though there is no consensus yet among fishermen on the duration and timing of the ban on mechanised trawlers. However, there is no conflict between traditional and mechanised boat owners, who have reached an unwritten agreement on resource conservation. Fisheries Department sources said that a meeting of officials with fishermen community ahead of the trawling ban had sensitised the stakeholders. Special ration allocation will be made to meet the requirements of the fishermen community during the ban period. Arrangements have been made to ensure safety at sea as the waters turn rough and fishing operations more dangerous during the rainy months. Meanwhile, the fishing community has expressed concern over the failure of the Union government to make public the second draft of the national marine fisheries policy, which was shared with State government officials on June 1.
2016, The Hindu