All Kerala Fishing Boat Operators’ Association president Peter Mathias and general secretary Joseph Xaviver Kalapurackal have said that imposing a fishing ban for 61 days between June 1 and July 31, 2021, on the west coast of the country would bring great difficulties to the fishing community as a whole.
They said that the fishing community was already suffering from the lockdown imposed to contain COVID-19. Imposing more restrictions in the coming days would only deepen their problems, they said.
More than 3.5 lakh people depend on the fishing sector directly and indirectly for making a living. Long-term restrictions on their activities would deepen the economic crisis among them, they added.
The association highlighted that though the same length of period was notified last year, the appeal from the fishing community to the central government had resulted in reducing the period to 47 days.
With the second stage of the pandemic tightening its grip there is tangible signs that thousands who solely depend on sea resources for their livelihood will be affected. Under these circumstances and in the background of global warming and erratic climatic conditions the fishers need to be protected, they said.
The association also said that the spiralling price of diesel had put the sector in great trouble. With such uncertainties in the catch, fishing expeditions had become unprofitable and the situation could be mitigated if fishing is permitted during the monsoon season.
The price of retail fish selling too had been affected due to the changes in consumer habits during the pandemic. Consumers who have been affected by the restrictions are not in a position to pay more for their daily necessities and the situation has had its impact on the fishing sector too.
