Rough Sea, Lack of Mooring Facility at Malpe Port forces Fishermen to Observe Fisheries Ban

By Snehalatha, Udupi
Bellevision Media Network

Udupi, 29 May 2013: The intermittent rains are arriving in the district because of dark clouds in rough Arabian Sea with high tidal waves and heavy gales.  The thousands of fishermen who are fishing in the deep sea are returning due to rough sea ahead of full-scale monsoon rains.  It has caused several crore of rupees to fisheries business.

 

The district administration bans fisheries for deep sea fishing for 45 days beginning from June 15 every year.  The fishermen anchor their fisheries boats at Malpe port or on the seashore.  Although there are over two-week for fisheries ban to come into effect, the fisheries boats are returning from deep sea fishing since 4 to 5 days owing to rough sea.  It seems the unannounced ban has come into effect much earlier.

It rains about 100 – 200 kilometers in Arabian Sea from the shore.  The sea is rough that makes it difficult to maneuver.  We return to the shore with a little fisheries catch, says Jagdish Mendon, one amongst the returned fishermen.

About 800 large and 500 small fisheries boats anchor at Malpe port, while about 1,000 fisheries boats venture into deep sea fishing.  Almost half of them have already returned, while the rest are likely to ashore in a week, says the fisherman.

The Malpe port can accommodate about 1,000 boats while others had to be moored on the shore which is exposed to high tidal waves.  A meanwhile a few boat owners already anchored their boats inside the port since 20 – 25 days in order to secure their boats forgoing fisheries income.  This move has indeed forced the ban to come into effect quite earlier than usual, say a few fishermen.

Why fisheries ban necessary?

The sea is rough ahead of beginning of monsoon.  The high tidal waves, torrential rains coupled with heavy winds make it difficult for fishermen to venture into sea.  The fisheries boats worth several lac of rupees including fisheries accessories are threatened of perishing in deep sea.

The beginning of monsoon also a breeding season for different species of fish.  The fishing at this time leads to dwindling fisheries stock in the nearest future.  At this outset, the district administration has been imposing fisheries ban since a few years.  The fisheries ban was 60 days earlier that was reduced to 45 days owing to fishermen’s demand.  The fisheries community has to adhere to total ban during these 45 days.