Fishermen cautioned as 61-day ban ends

As the 61-day annual breeding season ban on mechanised fishing along the Karavali coast ended, the Coast Guard has urged the fishing community to take precautionary mea sures including checking weather forecast when putting out to sea.
A press release issued by Indian Coast Guard-Karnataka unit urged the fishermen to check weather forecasts and follow safety procedures while operating in sea.
Fishermen were also urged to undertake seaworthiness checks of their boats in a systematic manner and not to use defective boats.
Fishing boats should operate in pairs or groups, Coast Guard Karnataka Commander K R Suresh said in the release.

There were 66,000 fishermen in Dakshina Kannada and 1.20 lakh in Udupi districts.
The fishermen hoped to get a good catch this year as fishing ban was being implemented effectively since last year, Fisheries department Deputy Director Kubendra Naik said in another release here.