Sea food prices set to surge as 61-day fishing ban begins in TN today

With the mandatory 61-day fishing ban in the eastern coast of Tamil Nadu to commence from Saturday (April 15) upto June 16, the prices of sea food are set to surge in the state.

The annual fishing ban is being implemented in the state since 2001 to conserve the marine wealth as even young fish were netted leading to a depletion of fishes.

The fishing ban in Western coast of Tamil Nadu will however commence from June 1 to July 31, according to the Tamil Nadu fisheries department authorities.

With the large coastal area of Tamil Nadu falling under the Eastern Coast comprising Coromandel coast from Chennai to Point Calimeri (357 km), Palk Bay (294km) and Gulf of Mannar (365 km) and the Western Coast between Kanniyakumari and Nererodi (65km), the fish available in the market will be much less leading to surge in prices.

With the ban effective from today, fish availability in major areas of Tamil Nadu will be from the catch in the Western coast which will be very less and from neighbouring states like Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

Tamil Nadu Fisheries and Aquaculture Commmissioner KS Palaniswami in a statement on Friday said that powerboats and trawlers should not enter the sea from coastal areas of the state during this period.

Barges and trawlers that were in the sea have already returned to the shores by Friday night.

Antony Thomas, a businessman, told IANS, "Fishing ban will affect us directly as the prices of all sea food will surge. These are not good days for person like me who eats fish regularly."

--IANS

aal/svn/