The annual monsoon trawl fishing ban will begin at midnight on Friday, cutting fish supplies and thus further raising prices in the local market.

For the next 47 days, mechanised boats using trawls to fish will be on a compulsory holiday and thousands of fishermen will either be jobless or will have to look for temporary work elsewhere.

However, vallom s (large canoes fitted with motors) have been exempted from the ban and will continue to fish. While the Central Government had wanted all fishing vessels using motors with over 10 HP to be banned, a law enacted by the Kerala Government has exempted vallom s.

This is the 25th year of the monsoon trawl ban in the coastal waters of Kerala. It has since been replicated by other coastal States. In the past, States such as Maharashtra and Gujarat has voluntary and informal abstention from fishing.

An expert committee appointed by the State Government to study the impact of the ban recently recommended that it be extended to 75 days, a move fishing trade unions are resisting.