Chennai:
Hundreds of mechanized boats in Nagapattinam and Karaikal districts will not put out to sea from today for one and half months as the annual 45 day ban on fishing these coastal areas comes into force from today.
The Governments of Tamil Nadu and Pondy had imposed the ban under provisions of the Deep sea Fishing Regulation Act, 2001. Every year, between April 15 and May 29, motorized trawlers are not be allowed for fishing activities, fisheries department sources said.
This ban coincides with the spawning season for fish, during which they release their eggs. As trawlers use fishing nets with small gaps, eggs and young ones would be caught in the net leading to resource depletion.
During this period, fishermen dependent on trawlers attend to repairs of boats and nets.
Catamarans and fibre glass boats are exempted from the ban.
The nets used by the fishermen in catamarans are different from those used by the trawlers. The nets of catamarans have big gaps and the young fish and eggs will not be caught.