The countrywide lockdown in force since March 24, 2020 has drastically affected the normal life and business of people, including fishermen and fish farmers.
Many States have exempted fisheries and aquaculture activities, including transportation of fish, from the lockdown restrictions.
The Odisha Government has also taken such an initiative to ensure availability of fish in the market.
The Fisheries and ARD Depatment has, however, asked to maintain social distancing in the fish markets.
It is learnt that local administrations are providing all cooperation in that regard.
For example, the Nimapara municipality and the BMC here have allowed all the retail and wholesale fish markets to open on daily basis.
To maintain the social distancing among buyers and sellerd, mongers in the fish market, circles have been drawn with 1.5 metre gap between them.
Fish buyers have also been advised to wear mask. Fish vendors and fish buyers are encouraged to have cashless transactions by UPI mobile payment system.
Similar arrangements are seen in various parts of the State.
Odisha is an important maritime State in India with 45 million population equivalent to that of Spain.
Majority of Odia people relish on fish and per capita fish consumption is about 15.50 kg which is higher than national average of 9 kg.
Though Odisha is the 5th largest fish producer in India with annual average production 750,000 metric tonne, still it imports nearly 50,000 MT of freshwater fish every year.
Lockdown and closure of National Highway has stopped transportation of fish from Andhra Pradesh to Odisha.
Due to this, price of locally priduced fish has gone up by about 30%. Prior to lockdown, Catla and Rohu prices were about Rs 170-180 per kg at retail markets and now it is selling between Rs 220 and Rs 250 per kg. The traditional fishermen continue selling fresh fish in markets within 30-50 km distance from fishing points.
But the prices of marine fish in coastal districts have not significantly changed.
However, most of the fishermen with mechanized boats (trawlers, purse seiners, gill netters, etc) have stopped fishing due to non-availability of ice, restrictions on movements of transport vehicles and fisher workers etc.
This has brought down the fish exports to other States and affected the livelihoods of fishermen.