Large numbers of marine fishermen ventured into the sea for fishing on Saturday as the 60-day-long ban on fishing was finally lifted. The ban, in effect from April 15 to June 15, was imposed to facilitate natural breeding that boosts fish production. It is an annual affair.
Large numbers of fisherfolks, mostly coastal inhabitants, are associated with fishing which is their prime livelihood source. At least 21,000 fishing vessels including 2,000 trawlers registered with the department of fisheries ventured into the sea after two months, said Bijay Kar, additional director of fisheries, Kujang.
Hundreds of fishermen, for the past 60 days, kept themselves busy repairing their equipment and fishing boats in preparation for the fishing season. Many from Andhra Pradesh who took a two-month-long vacation have already returned to the seaside fishing villages to join in fishing. Ahead of sailing, hectic activities such as loading of ice bars in boats to maintain the freshness of the catch were witnessed at the fishing harbours of Paradip, Kharinashi, Jamboo, Talachua and other areas.
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Many fish merchants from West Bengal arrived to purchase fish. Similarly, seafood exporters of the state opened their offices and fish collection centres to purchase fish and prawn from the fishermen, said Ajay Mallick, a seafood supplier of Kendrapara. The monsoon trawling ban was introduced in 1998 to help unhindered breeding of fish during the rainy season. The monsoon season is the breeding season of nearly 300 species along the coast of Odisha.
Narayan Haldar, president of Odisha Masyajibi Forum, said the fishing ban has proved to be a great success. “The breeding period really helps us catch big shrimps which fetch good prices. Many fishermen worshipped their boats before venturing into the sea for fishing,” he added. Fish prices which skyrocketed due to non-supply of adequate volume during the ban are expected to be normal. The impact on fish prices would be felt in the local markets in a few days, said Prafulla Behera, a fish merchant of Kendrapara.