Thiruvananthapuram: A 52-day long trawling ban will come into effect starting on Thursday midnight, and fishing trawlers will have to keep off 12 nautical miles away from the Kerala coast. The ban will remain in force till July 31. Meanwhile, a section of of boat owners have threatened to violate the curb. They claim that fishermen from nearby Tamil Nadu are allowed to operate on Kerala coast.
Even after the commencement of the ban, the harbours will be open for 48 hours and fish sales will be allowed. There will be no restriction for the operation of non-motorized fishing boats. At the same time, the state government had a deliberation whether annual ban need to be called off in the next year as some claim it has no considerable effect on improving marine resources.
Similarly, fisheries department has assured that action will be taken against Tamil Nadu boat owners if they breach the mandate. The ban is enforced to ensure that there is no disturbance during the breeding season of fish, and any trawler that violates the ban will be fined. The ban is expected to hike fish prices by at least 30%. Kerala has over 200 marine fishing villages and the total number of fishermen is over 7 lakhs. During the ban period, the state government provides relief to the fisher folk with ration.
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