State to enforce 52-day trawling ban

Restrictions to begin on the midnight of June 9 and end on July 31 midnight

The State government has decided to impose a 52-day ban on trawling operations, beginning midnight of June 9 and ending on July 31 midnight. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Fisheries Minister Saji Cheriyan with the stakeholders in the sector on Wednesday. The State government had, for the first time extended the ban from 45 days, in force since 1994, to 52 days last year in view of the demand raised by traditional fishers. The Swathanthra Matsya Thozhilali Federation (SMTF) and Matsya Thozhilali Aikya Vedi had favoured longer periods of ban on trawling operations during the monsoon as a measure to conserve marine fish resources. Jackson Pollayil said after the meeting that the SMTF was in favour of a longer period of ban on monsoon operations though the Minister felt that the continuing lockdown and restrictions on fishing activities due to the pandemic spread as well as loss of fishing days had to be considered when the trawling ban was imposed.