52-day ban on trawling off Kerala coast from June 9 midnight

Most mechanized fishing boats in Kerala have returned to the harbours as the 52-day monsoon trawling ban is slated to start at midnight on Friday. Beginning on June 9, the 3,600 mechanized fishing vessels, 500 gillnet boats, and 114 purse seine boats accessing Kerala harbours will cease fishing.

Thiruvananthapuram: Most mechanized fishing boats in Kerala have returned to the harbours as the 52-day monsoon trawling ban is slated to start at midnight on Friday. Beginning on June 9, the 3,600 mechanized fishing vessels, 500 gillnet boats, and 114 purse seine boats accessing Kerala harbours will cease fishing.

While some of the workers on these boats are migrant labours from Assam, most of them are natives of the Tamil Nadu districts of Thoothukudi and Kanyakumari. These workers started going back to their homes, but they won't be there until the end of July. Boat owners use the time to perform maintenance on their vessels while the ban is in effect.

Traditional fishermen are, however, permitted to continue their fishing operations throughout the ban period, which is a time when they may make a modest living.

The trawling ban will end on July 31 at midnight. 

The state government makes provision for the fishermen's demands so that they can contact the operational control room. As it is fish breeding season, the prohibition is necessary to prevent the depletion of fish stocks. 

The vast majority of Kerala houses regard fish to be one of the most significant cuisines. Fish prices will likely increase by 30% as a result of the prohibition. There are more than 200 marine fishing villages in Kerala, and there are more than 7 lakh fishermen overall.