Sea fishing activity has been resumed in coastal Odisha after the state government lifted the annual ban on marine fishing operation.
The annual ban from April 15 till May 31, promulgated under the Odisha Marine Fishing Regulation Act, is aimed at greater interest of the fishermen as it leads to larger yield, Deputy Director (Marine Fisheries) Pratap Ranajn Rout said today.
Odisha is not the only state where prohibition has been imposed. Similar restriction on sea-fishing is presently in force in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Rout said.
Many fishermen from Andhra Pradesh, who took a 45-day vacation during the ban period, have returned to the seaside fishing villages of the state to resume work, he said.
The fishing harbour at Paradip is now buzzing with activities. Many fish merchants from West Bengal have already come down to Paradip to purchase fish.
Similarly, seafood exporters of the state opened their offices and fish collection centres to purchase fish and prawn from the fishermen, said Sumanta Biswal, President of Trawler Owners' Association of Paradip.
During the ban period, more than 1,000 mechanised boats besides trawlers and medium and small size motorised boats which operate from Paradip fisheries harbour were left idle leaving hundreds of fish workers and vendors jobless, Seagoing Fishermen Union Spokesman Tushar Sardar said.
