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Fishermen to resume deep-sea fishing from Sept 1

Fishermen to resume deep-sea fishing from Sept 1


Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, July 31, 2020:    The fishermen in Dakshina Kannnada district will resume deep-sea fishing from September 1, though the ban on fishing season ends on July 31. The prevailing Covid-19 situation has made the fishermen to postpone the deep-sea fishing.

 

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The decision was taken at a meeting of the representatives from fishermen community and related sectors. The fishermen felt that the postponing of the deep-sea fishing was necessitated to check the spread of the pandemic.

The meeting was attended by representatives from all the sectors of fisheries, including boat owners, fish traders, export firm and fishmeal industries. Trawl Boat Owners’ Association president Nithin Kumar said, “We discussed various issues including bringing back the migrant labourers, who are the mainstay of this commercial activity, from Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Jharkhand and West Bengal. After the lockdown, all the labourers had returned to their native. About 75% of the labourers in the fishing sector are from other states.”

He said the stakeholders would meet the officials from the fisheries department and discuss the issue of arranging transportation and quarantine facilities for the migrant labourers. “A plan of action will be submitted shortly.”

There is a need to chalk out plans to ensure social distancing at the old port and auction yard once the deep-sea fishing commences.

“It is difficult to carry out fish business and maintain social distance during this pandemic. In case, if the Old Port is sealed down following a fisherman testing positive, then fishermen will incur a huge loss,” fishermen said.

The fisheries department officials had advised fishermen to ensure that at least 25% of the boats that leave for fishing returned to the port on the same day. In reality, it is not possible. The boats that go for deep-sea fishing will have 8 to 10 members in it. They return with the catch only after 10 days. The mechanised boats will return to the port after three days of fishing. Only a few purse seine boats return on the same day after the catch, fishermen added.

Traditional boats

The traditional fishing boats will resume fishing in full scale from August 1. The fishing ban is implemented to allow breeding of the fish along the coast from June 1 to July 31. Due to Covid-19 pandemic, this year, the fish ban was from June 15 to July 31. The reckless fishing during monsoon will adversely affect the fish catch after the fishing season resumes. Last fishing season was not good for the fishermen. The fishermen were caught in Okhi, Kyarr and Maha cyclones and lost several days of fishing. Further, the lockdown announced to check the spread of Covid, further affected the fishing season.


Courtesy:Deccan Herald


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