Kendrapara: The Odisha Marine Fishery Department has imposed a ban on fishing activities along the eastern coast of Bay of Bengal in the state to facilitate fish breeding.
Official sources Saturday said the 60-day ban will be in force from April 15 to June 14. The Marine Fishery Department has appealed to the fishermen not to venture into sea with mechanised vessels and trawlers as it would not only affect the breeder fish but also affect the breeding process.
The ban that extends to 12 nautical miles off Odisha coast aims at conserving fish species during the monsoon, which is the spawning season for many varieties including shrimps. The ban coincides with the spawning season for fish, during which they release their eggs.
As trawlers use fishing nets with small gaps, eggs and hatchlings get caught in the nets leading to depletion in fish production.
The boats, whether it is motorised or non-motorised, measuring upto 8.5-meter length are exempted from the ban. These boats can go to the sea to catch fish up to 12 nautical miles as the nets used by the fishermen are different from those used by the trawlers.
The marine fishery department has also asked the authorities of the industries set up near the Port town Paradip not to discharge effluents into the water bodies connected with the sea, as it would have an adverse impact on fish breeding and spawning, additional fishery officer (Marine), Kujanga Tusharkanta Mohapatra said.
According to official sources, about 21,832 fishing vessels including 1,741 trawlers are registered with the Fishery Department.
PNN