Thiruvananthapuram: A 52-day trawling ban will come into effect in Kerala from Wednesday. The ban will continue till July 30.
The practice involves pulling a fishing net tied to one or two boats (known as trawlers) through the water. Trawling ban grounds around 4,000 boats operating in Kerala.
The ban, however, is not applicable to small scale fishers.
Fishing vessels from other states are also expected to leave Kerala's shores by July 9 midnight.
A practice of imposing a ban on trawling is common in India during the monsoon season for fish breeding. The practice, which began in 1988, ensures that the marine resources are conserved and not overexploited during the monsoon months.
The fishing industry had been severely affected by the COVID-19 lockdown imposed in the state.