Paradip: The Odisha govt Thursday imposed the annual ban on fishing along the state coast for two months. The ban, viewed as necessary for safe breeding of fish, will be in place from April 15 to June 15.
The two-month ban is being imposed annually for the last 10 years as it is feared that rampant fishing activities could be disastrous for the ecosystem. At the same time, around 50,000 people are expected to lose their livelihood during this period, it was learnt.
Over the years, fish population in the sea along the Odisha coast has been on a downward spiral. While regular fishing and using of nets are two reasons blamed for decreasing fish population, the role of climate change and industrialisation in the decline cannot be ruled out either.
“Keeping this in view, a restriction has been imposed on fishing,” informed marine fisheries officer Manoranjan Mahapatra.
About the loss caused by the ban, Arabinda Swain, a trawler owner, said the ban renders fishermen jobless and they suffer a huge loss. “The government has announced some financial assistance to them. But there should be a proper system so that the benefits reach the right persons at the right time,” he maintained.
In this regard, Mahapatra said, “The fishermen of some coastal districts like Kendrapara and Balasore get this assistance amount. There are many fishermen in Paradip who don’t have ‘Fisherman Identity Card’. Due to this, they are not able to get any benefits announced by the government.”
PNN
