Kerala’s Fisheries Minister J Mercykutty amma has announced a 56 day ban on trawling in the state, beginning from June 9.
The ban is placed in order to conserve fish stock and for the protection and prosperity of the fisheries sector, Mercykutty amma announced at a government conference on Tuesday, which included representatives from the fishing community. In trawling, bottom trawl nets are used to catch shrimp and other fish living on the seafloor from shallow coastal waters to extreme depths.
The ban will be lifted on July 31. Trawling bans are placed every year for a total of 52 days to ensure that marine stock on the fishing areas is not depleted.
In order to ensure that the ban is not violated, control rooms have been activated in coastal areas during the period. Additionally, 80 young men from the fishing community have also completed trained to become members of the Ocean Protection Squad during the time of the ban. Boats from other states/regions should clear the coast before the ban is placed, the minister announced.
Biometric cards of fisherfolk will also be checked during the ban period, to ensure that no violation takes place. Coming to in-board boats and their diesel requirements, select diesel bunks by MATSYAFED (Kerala state co-operative federation for fisheries) will provide diesel with restrictions in place.