Chennai: Prices of fish are expected to go up as the 61-day annual ban on deep sea fishing by mechanised trawlers along the East Coast of Tamilnadu and Puducherry, has commence from today. The ban would be in force till 14 June.
In order to conserve the marine fishery resources, seasonal fishing ban is
imposed every year since 2001. The 61-day fishing ban period is implemented from 15 April to 14 June in the East Coast region and 1 June to 31 July in the West Coast region (Rajakkamangalamthurai to Neerodi).
During the year 2021-22, a sum of Rs 85.62 crore was disbursed to 1,71,234 fishermen families of 14 coastal districts and this scheme will be continued in the year 2022-23 as well, Fisheries Minister Anitha R Radhakrishnan said, while moving the demand for grants for his department in the State Assembly Wednesday.
Around 6,000 mechanised boats, across 13 coastal districts in the State, will
not venture into the sea for fishing during this ban period.
Any violation will attract a penalty under Section 5 of the Tamilnadu Marine
Fisheries Regulation Act, 1983.
The ban is enforced by the State government from Tiruvallur district in
the North to Kanyakumari district in the South, under the provisions of
Centre’s Deep Sea Fishing Regulation Act, 2001 and would be in force
till June 15 to facilitate breeding of fishes and conservation of fish stock
in marine ecology in the region.
However, catamarans, non-motorised, country boats and Fibre Reinforced
Plastic (FRP) boats would go for fishing since they could go only up to three
or four nautical miles, sources said, adding, a financial assistance of
Rs 5,000 would be paid to about 1.71 lakh fishermen families during the ban
period.
As mandated by the Tamilnadu Marine Fisheries Regulation Act, 1983,
the ban was enforced for ‘conservation of species propagation’ during
the breeding season.
The officials have instructed mechanised boats fishermen not to venture
into the sea to avoid disturbance caused by trawlers to marine life during
the breeding season.
The fishermen would utilise the ban period to mend their nets and take up
overhauling works of their boats.
Overhauling of engines, dry docking, carpentry works and painting of
vessels would be carried out during the ban period for which the boat
owners would spend around Rs two lakh to Rs five lakh every year.
With a view to enforcing the ban strictly, enforcement agencies would be
involved in joint patrolling.
Meanwhile, the prices of fish are expected to shoot up in view of the
ban as the arrivals would come down significantly.
The increase in prices is likely to be in the range of 50 to 75 per cent.
Meanwhile, various fishermen’s organisations had long been demanding
that the ban period should be shifted from April-May to October-November
-December, during the northeast monsoon and the State government is yet
to take a call on the issue.
Also, fishermen in the state have demanded that the government enhance the special cash assistance during the ban period to 10,000 from 5,000 as promised by the DMK in its election manifesto last year.