47 day fish trawling ban commences off Kerala coast

Kerala fisherman will have to temporarily put their fishing nets to rest, as the annual 47 days ban on fishing using motorised trawlers in Kerala's coastal waters began at midnight on Saturday.

As per the ban, most of the heavy motorised deep sea fish trawlers will now be anchored at their respective harbours during the ban till July 31.

Marine Products Exports Development Authority of India Chairperson, Ms. Leena Nair, said "Though fishermen will face a lot of problems due to the ban, but they would be given grants from the state government and other monetary help. But the ban is really important for the conservation and sustainability of the fishes."

She added, "People are saying that the 47 day ban wouldn't be enough and it should be changed to 60 days, but we will discuss that after a proper talk with the fishermen. This ban will really have a positive effect, and people will see that the catch after this period will be higher and there will be growth of fishes in the sea."

Kerala is the first state in the country to introduce a trawling ban, which is now followed by many other states in India. This ban is being implemented during the onset of monsoon, which is considered as the ideal time for fish breeding.