Fishing boats to be allowed in to sea from Aug.7

Fisheries Department had earlier allowed boats to venture out on August 5

Fishing boats will be allowed out to sea from Kerala shores only from Friday, August 7, Fisheries director M. G. Rajamanickam has said.

The Fisheries Department has modified an earlier decision to allow the boats to go out from Wednesday, August 5, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) warning that strong winds with speeds of 50-60 kmph are likely along Kerala, Karnataka coasts, and the Lakshadweep region.

The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) has warned that high waves with heights ranging between 3.5 to 5.5 metres are likely along Kerala coasts till Thursday.

Although the 52-day trawling ban ended on the midnight of July 31, the State government had initially decided to allow marine fisheries operations from August 5 subject to stringent COVID-19 protocols, given the spike in cases along the coast.

As per the guidelines, fishing and marketing-related activities in harbours will be managed by the harbour management societies. People’s committees, with the Matsya Bhavan officer as convener, have been formed for the fish-landing centres and other jetties where the catch will be offloaded.

Boats will be allowed to go out on alternate days. Those with registration numbers ending in odd numbers could operate on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Those with registration numbers ending in even numbers could engage in fishing operations on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Boats from other States and crew have been banned from entering the harbours and fishing-landing centres in Kerala. Boats leaving Kerala shores are banned from visiting harbours/landing centres elsewhere.

Fishing crew from other States currently in Kerala should be quarantined and tested, and they should be allowed on board on production of a COVID-19-negative certificate.

A maximum of five men will be allowed in each of the two 32-foot boats that use boat seine nets. In the case of shore-seine fishing, a maximum of 12 people will be allowed on either end of the net. The crew should maintain physical distancing norms and use sanitiser and face masks.

Between three and seven boats will be allowed inside the harbour at a time to avoid crowding. Fisheries auctions stand banned. The price will be fixed by the harbour management societies and people’s committees. Matsyafed will be responsible for the marketing aspects. Entry of trucks to the harbours for the transportation of catch will be regulated with passes.