KOLLAM: In the wake of the Supreme Court pronouncing that the monsoon-time ban on trawling in the State be extended up to August 15, the Kollam District Fishing Boat Operators' Association has called upon the State Government to urgently intervene in the issue and ensure that the ban comes to an end on July 30.

At a press conference here on Tuesday, association general secretary M.S. James said if the Government failed to intervene, the seafood industry would be doomed.

He said this year's 45-day ban on trawling would result in a loss of more than Rs.2,500 crores to the seafood industry. The ban on trawling during monsoon had been in effect for the past 19 years. But there was no scientific explanation so far to suggest that the ban had served the purpose for which it had been introduced.

While much concern was being raised over the debt-triggered suicides by farmers, no one in authority had expressed any concern for the boat owners who had committed suicide on account of debts. The ban on trawling had put the boat owners in debt, he said.

He said in the past, 70 per cent of the fish landings in the State came through monsoon-time trawling. Prior to the ban on trawling, more than 7,500 mechanised fishing boats and more than 5,000 traditional fishing crafts operated from the Neendakara-Shakthikulangara twin fishing harbours. There were also more than 1,600 ice plants and 337 seafood export units. These together provided employment to several lakhs of people. Monsoon was the time when the prized `karikadi' variety of shrimps were available. The ban on trawling had denied karikadi to the seafood industry here.

Following the ban on trawling, the number of fishing boats had come down to less than 2,500. More than 300 export units and over 1,000 ice plants had closed down. Several lakhs of people had lost their livelihood. At the same time, the number of traditional crafts operating from the area had risen to 28,000.

Mr. James said that while mechanised boats were banned from going to sea, foreign fishing vessels entered the Kerala waters during the ban period and made away with the marine wealth. He alleged that the operation of the foreign vessels had forced the boat owners to conclude that there was vested interest behind the ban on trawling.

He said the boat owners were prepared to endure a fishing holiday during November to January, which was the real spawning season for many of the edible fish species. June and July were harvest seasons at sea and it was `looted' by the foreign vessels.

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