Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru/Udupi (MS)
Mangaluru/Udupi, Aug 1: Fishing season will start in coastal Karnataka after a lull of two months on August 1. All deep sea fishing boats that were anchored are all set to go for the fish hunt.
Ice plants opened their shutters on Sunday, July 31 itself. Fishermen have got their boat, engine and nets repaired for the new season. Labourers from outstation states, who go for deep sea fishing on purse seine boats, are also back. The sea was violent this time due to storm and fishermen are expecting huge bounty.
Representational image
Deep sea fishing was banned for two months as it is breeding time for the fish species. Leaders of fishermen at Malpe said that the fishing will start once all fishermen gather together and offer puja to the almighty.
Around 15,000 litres of diesel is required for each boat per month. The government is giving 9,000 litres without tax. The remaining needs to be bought at market price. Due to increase in diesel prices, many boats had anchored in the month of May itself. Now as the prices have reduced the profits will be more for the fishermen.
In the last fiscal of 2021-22, 2.91 lac metric tonne fish was caught in Dakshina Kannada district sea waters while in Udupi the amount was 1.80 lac metric tonne. The worth of these is Rs 3801.60 crore and Rs 1,850 crore respectively.
Mangaluru fishing port has 1,400 purse seine and trawler boats while Malpe and Gangolli have 2,166 of them.