As a ban on marine fishing has been enforced since April 14 for two months, more than 1,700 fishing vessels, including 722 trawlers, have been rendered idle across the district .
In Baleswar district. as many as 227 villages undernine blocks near the coast depend on marine fishing .
While about 40,000 people are directly involved in the sector, nearly one lakh families eke out a living out of the fishing and allied jobs .
Besides the Balaramgadi, Bahabalpur and Kasafal fishing bases, the other ghats from where fishermen undertake fishing voyage are Baliapal, Gopalpur and Chandaneswar where marine extension units have been established.
With the ban on fishing, not only the fishermen community, the business of ice producing plants will be adversely affected. The marine fish catch not only caters to the demand for consumption of fish in the district, fish is also exported to different States.
The ban every year is enforced till June 14 in view of the breeding season of marine fish and protecting their population.
Marine Fisheries Officer Chittaranjan Sahu said, “In view of the breeding and laying of eggs of fish, the ban is enforced under a Central directive. The ban period would restore the fish population and ultimately the fishermen would be benefited.”
With non arrival of marine fish in the market, the common people are facing a tough time with the exorbitant price of the commonly consumed sweet water fish, these days, said sources. The Rohu and Katlawhich were otherwise available at Rs 200 per kg are now sold between Rs 280 and Rs 300 a kg. Hilsa of reasonable size is sold at Rs 1,000-Rs 1,200 per kg.
“There is no catch of marine fish due to the ban. The market is sustaining on the local fresh water fish along with the fish imported from neighbouring Andhra Pradesh,” told retail fish trader of local market Sakir Ahmed.
“We do trading with a margin of Rs 30- Rs 50 per kg . The selling price is always linked with the buying cost . Therefore we have little role to swing in the market to higher side.
In fact we too bear losses in this lean season since more transactions always fetch more profits.” he further mentioned.