Annual fishing ban begins on April 15

The State Government has issued orders pertaining to the annual 61-day ban on the fishing activities in the seawater, in the territorial limits of Andhra Pradesh from from April 15 to June 14.

In a bid to protect the fishery resources and biodiversity during the breeding season, the Government enforces the ban every year, restricting the fishing activities by all mechanised and motorised vessels fitted with inboard or outboard engines, excluding the non-motorised crafts, as per the under Section 4 (2) of the A.P. Marine Fishing Regulation Act, 1994.

However, the fishermen have made an appeal to the government to enhance the cash compensation in lieu of the loss of income during the ban period.

Frequent formation of systems in the Bay of Bengal and depleting catch due to ocean pollution caused by dumping of plastic material, discharge of industrial effluents and over exploitation have led to a distress situation forcing the fishermen to keep their boats idle most of the time during past one year.

“We are ready to observe the ban as most of the boats have been brought to the jetty. With the prediction of a good rainfall this time, we expect that the catch will improve significantly,” says AP Mechanised Boat Operators’ Association president P.Ch. Appa Rao and Dolphin Boat Operators’ Welfare Association president Ch. Satyanarayana Murthy.

As many as 4,800 workers including the khalasis and drivers depend on the voyage of mechanised boats from the Vizag fishing harbour for their livelihood. The activity also provides indirect employment to 6,000 people who eke out a living by carrying fish and ice in cycle rickshaws and drying the fish.

Cash compensation

Joint Director of Fisheries P. Sankara Rao said the Government has already sanctioned ₹6.25 crore for payment of compensation to the fishermen for loss of job during the ban period when compared to the last year’s ₹6.14 crore.

Enumeration meetings will be conducted at various places from April 17 to 19. On production of boat owners’ certificate, the details of Aadhaar, ration card, bank account and boat’s registration number and licence copies, the amount at the rate of ₹4,000 would be deposited to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries, Mr. Rao said.

However, Visakhapatnam Fishing Harbour Workers’ Union general secretary J.D. Naidu termed the sanction of ₹4,000 as paltry and demanded payment at the rate ₹300 per day for the entire ban period.

More power to Fisheries Department sought

“Last year, 1,190 fishermen who were sanctioned compensation, could not get the amount due to various objections in the treasury. The Fisheries Department should be given the powers to directly transfer the amount the accounts of the beneficairies,” he said.