Mangaluru: Boats anchor, workers head home as annual fishing ban brings harbour to a halt

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, June 6, 2026: The usually bustling Mangaluru Fishing Harbour has fallen silent as the annual fishing season comes to an end and the two-month fishing ban comes into force along the Karnataka coast.

Known for the constant buzz of fish auctions, roaring boat engines, movement of tempos and lorries, and the activity of hundreds of workers, the harbour now presents a deserted look with most operations suspended.

The Karnataka government has imposed a ban on fishing by mechanised and trawl boats from June 1 to July 31 as part of the annual monsoon fishing restriction. With fishing activities halted, only a few workers remain at the harbour, carrying out final tasks such as unloading and stacking fish storage boxes from boats.

Roads leading to the harbour, which are usually crowded with tempos, auto-rickshaws and two-wheelers, are now largely empty. Tea stalls and snack shops that depend on harbour workers and traders have either shut down temporarily or are witnessing very little business.

On normal days, hundreds of fishing vessels arrive and depart from the harbour. However, at present, hundreds of boats are anchored at the jetty. As space at the first and second phases of the harbour is insufficient, several boats have also been berthed in the third phase and at nearby locations including Bengre, Bunder and Kuloor.

Boat owners have begun maintenance activities during the fishing break, including repairs, painting and servicing of vessels, to prepare for the next fishing season.

With fishing operations suspended along the coast, local fish supplies are expected to decline. Fish will now be sourced mainly from states such as Gujarat and Tamil Nadu. Fishermen point out that these fish are transported over long distances with ice and therefore are not as fresh as locally caught fish. Prices are also expected to remain high during the ban period.

Although traditional country-boat fishing is expected to commence after the onset of the monsoon, the catch is generally limited and most of it is sold locally, resulting in only small quantities reaching the market.

The fishing ban has also affected thousands of migrant workers who form the backbone of the fishing industry. Nearly 90 per cent of workers engaged in fishing operations, loading and unloading activities at the harbour come from states such as Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Most of them have returned to their native places during the fishing holiday and are expected to return after two months.

Apart from fishermen, employees of ice factories, fish transport vehicle drivers and workers in fish processing units are also affected by the seasonal closure and are seeking alternative sources of income during the ban period.