Tight surveillance measures are in place to ensure that boat owners comply with the trawling ban which will come into effect from Saturday midnight. Three mechanised boats and a fibre boat have already been hired by the Fisheries Department to strengthen sea patrolling.
Beypore, Puthiyappa, Koyilandy and Chombal harbours will be the focus of patrol teams in hired boats. The fibre boat will be based at the Chombal harbour to coordinate patrolling activities. The department has already hired a few skilled fishers for emergency operations.
Fisheries Department officials say all non-Kerala fishing boats will leave the Kozhikode coast by Saturday evening. Already, several such boats have returned to their own native places. District collectors of Mangaluru and Kanyakumari have been requested to inform fishers in their area about the ban.
Action against pair trawling will be one of the priorities of the marine enforcement squad and the coastal police. Hefty fine will be imposed and boats will be seized on noticing the illegal fishing method.
The supply of subsidised diesel for boats will be stopped at all diesel bunks in the district.
Helpline
An officer attached to the Fisheries Department says country boats venturing into fishing should be equipped with all the recommended emergency life-saving accessories. A round-the-clock helpline and a very high frequency radio communication system are now functional at the Beypore Fisheries Station for their help, he adds.
The trawling ban will affect the operators of about 5,000 mechanised fishing boats in Kozhikode district. It include 1,000-odd mechanised boats, 249 boats fitted with inboard engines and 3,792 boats fitted with outboard engines. This is in addition to the presence of over 600 fishing boats from nearby districts. According to official figures, there are around 26,000 fishers who make a living through deep-sea fishing.
Efforts are on to offer them better field support and relief to overcome the lean season. Free ration and relief fund from various welfare schemes are also under consideration. Some of the fishermen organisations have also called for introducing free treatment aid for fishers during the term.