Kendrapara: The Marine Fishery Department imposed a ban on fishing along the eastern coast of Bay of Bengal for 61-days beginning today to facilitate breeding of fish.
Assistant Director of Fishery (Marine) Department in Kujanga Manas Ranjan Sahu said the ban would be in force till June 14 next.
The Department appealed to fishermen not to venture into sea with mechanized vessels and trawlers as it would affect the breeding process.
This ban coincides with the spawning season for fish, during which they release eggs. As trawlers use fishing nets with small gaps, eggs and young ones would be caught in the nets leading to depletion in fish production.
Motorised and non-motorised boats measuring up to 8.5 meter long are exempted from the ban. These boats can go to the sea up to 12 nautical miles to catch fish.
The Department also asked the Industries near the port town Paradip, not to discharge wastes into the water bodies that are connected with the sea, as it would have adverse impact on fish breeding and spawning.
The prices of popular sea fish varieties such as prawn, pomfret, khanga, bhekti, kani, ribbon fish, bombi, kokali and other varieties are expected to rise in coming days due to the ban.