Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Government has imposed the annual fishing ban along the state coast from the 15th of this month till 14th June 2023. The ban on mechanized fishing is imposed by the Fisheries Directorate due to the commencement of the breeding season of fishes. Strict action will be taken against those who defy the ban.
“To avoid disturbances caused by trawlers during the breeding season, fishermen have been instructed not to venture into the sea during the ‘fishing ban’ period under Section 4 of the Odisha Marine Fishing Regulation Act, 1982,” read an official notification. The ban will help breeding of various fish in the sea during the season. The ban on fishing extends to 12 nautical miles off the Odisha coast on the Bay of Bengal.
Boats with less than 8.5 meters length are exempted from this restriction. The ban will help more than 300 species of fish to breed but more than 10 thousand fishermen from Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapada district will be impacted.