Scientists in the fisheries sector have called for a re-look at the seasonal fishing ban (SFB), as its effectiveness in attaining the declared objective of conserving fish resources is not proved beyond doubt.

The declaration of SFB also needs to include measures to protect the livelihood of fishermen and other dependent populations, says A Suresh and VR Madhu, principal scientists at the Central Institute of Fisheries Technology, Kochi, in a report.

Their views assume relevance in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic and the restrictions imposed on fishing activities at a time when workers in the fisheries sector are demanding a relook at SFB and its effectiveness.

SFB is a major conservation-oriented regulatory measure governing the harvest of marine fish resources. One of the major reasons for invoking SFB is to protect the spawners at their peak spawning season and allowing at least one cycle of reproduction to enable sustainable management of fish resources.

Since its start in Kerala in 1988, SFB of about 45-70 days is now practiced by all maritime states. It has become an important fish management mechanism to counteract fish stock depletion, which is found to be partly due to over-fishing and over-capitalisation of marine waters.

However, the scientific community, fisher-folk and development workers differ on the impact of SFB on the catch. Some argue that the positive impact of trawl ban in Kerala was seen only during the initial decade. Also, the benefits of SFB are said to be only during the immediate post-SFB period, which tapers off after that. The fishing effort is found to increase greatly after the SFB period, bringing to a quick end whatever benefits SFB had brought in.

CN Ravishankar, Director, CIFT, pointed out that SFB remains an important management tool to address over-capitalisation and over-fishing. However, it cannot be considered a panacea or standalone measure, and needs to be supported by other regulatory measures. The marine fisheries regulations Acts (MFRAs) of states have to be strengthened to support the conservation and sustainable harvest of fisheries.

According to scientists, the recent revision of Kerala Marine Fisheries Regulation Act is an important step. The revision proposes a slew of regulatory measures including minimum legal size of fish to be caught, mesh size regulation, regulations on engine capacity and number of vessels, regular monitoring, control and surveillance, licensing of fishing vessels, and gradual shift towards co-management systems of marine ecosystems. However, the co-operation of all the maritime states is critical in effectively implementing these reforms on a national scale.

SFB has several livelihood implications on employment, income, food and nutritional security, debt and repayment, and expenditure on education and health. Majority in the community are rendered jobless during this period and both short-term and long-term strategies are essential to counter this issue. The report also proposes measures to address the livelihood needs during SFB to cope with the income shortfall.

It also suggested direct income support on the lines of PM-Kisan, in which an amount of ₹6,000 per year is provided to all small and marginal farmers. Fishermen should be included under this initiative, it said.

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