The All Kerala Fishing Boat Operators Association has opposed the extended trawl ban in the State, saying it is benefitting their counterparts in Tamil Nadu who are registering good catches.

Citing safety issues related to the Covid-19 protocol and accelerated wind speeds in the seas, the Kerala Government has extended the trawling ban for an indefinite period even after its expiry on July 31; the ban was in place for 52 days.

Joseph Xavier Kalapurackal, general secretary of the association, said that the period following the monsoon fishing ban is the most profitable for fishermen. From the money they make from the catch during this period, they try to square off their debts. However, in the present season, only Tamil Nadu’s fishermen have been benefiting, registering catches worth ₹20-25 lakh on each voyage.

Tamil Nadu’s fishermen are venturing into the sea and their boats engaging in fishing activities even in the coastal waters of Kerala, he alleged. At the same time, he said, fishermen in Kerala are denied the opportunity in the name of safety.

As fishermen in the State are deprived of their chances of fishing during August and September, more than two lakh people in the coastal belt are directly dragged into poverty, he said.

The threatened wind speed in the sea is morphia for fishermen of both Kerala and Tamil Nadu, who consider it a blessing in disguise.

Considering the prevailing circumstances, the association has requested the Chief Minister to lift the ban on fishing and allow them to start fishing activity at the earliest.

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