Mangaluru: Coastal Karnatka, will miss its staple food – fish, over the next two months as a two month uniform ban on fishing takes efect in all the three coastal districts of Karnataka. A release issued by the Department of Fisheries says that the ban will apply to all mechanised boats from June 1st to July 31st across the coast of Karntaka. The ban, is designed to facilitate the breeding of fish during the monsoon.

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The uniform ban is the result of a meeting of fisheries ministers of all the coastal states at New Delhi, which was also attended by defense minister Manohar Parrikar.

All kinds of trawlers and conventional boats retrofitted with engines with more than 10 HP capacity are prohibited from venturing into the sea and carry on fishing activities during the ban. Similarly, use of nets and other similar equipment to catch fish has been banned.

Fishermen and fishing boats violating the ban would be penalised as per the provisions of the Act. Besides this, they would also become ineligible for getting subsidised diesel for one year. All fishermen had been urged to follow this directive and cooperate with the government. The ban has been enforced as per the Karnataka Marine Fishing (Regulation) Act says the release.