Kerala’s trawling ban, which was put in place to safeguard marine fisheries during the monsoon season, will end at midnight on July 31. This marks the conclusion of a 52-day prohibition aimed at protecting commercially important fish species such as oil sardines during their spawning season. The ban, which began at midnight on June 9, required fishing trawlers to remain at least 12 nautical miles from the Kerala coast. The Fisheries Department has issued warnings of stringent penalties for any violations of these rules, and District Collectors have instructed boats from other states to leave the coastal regions before the ban began.
Throughout the trawling ban, the state government provided free rations to local trawlers and their workers. However, traditional fishermen were permitted to use canoes and inboard boats during this period. By the evening of June 9, the Marine Enforcement and Coastal Police had successfully relocated trawling boats to safer areas to comply with the ban.
