The short voyage undertaken by a few boats that returned to the shore on Thursday has raised the hopes of a rich harvest post ban period among the fishermen of North Andhra.
A few dozen mechanised boats and beach landing crafts returned with a good catch of brown prawn. Some captured miscellaneous fish like vanjiram, gulivendula, ribbon fish, senku, small lizard and goat fish.
“We got a good catch of brown shrimp but it fetched with head-on only ₹350 per kg. We expect it to go up further once seafood exporters come forward to buy from us after completion of long voyages of a week or two,” Vasupalli Raju, whose two boats returned after a short voyage, told The Hindu.
Early start
The new fishing season was launched from midnight of Tuesday after holding Gangamma Jatara though the permission to venture into sea was given from midnight of Monday. Pre-monsoon showers generally ensure a big catch for fishermen.
“Generally, boats which go on day fishing to Bheemili or nearby areas or up to Kalingapatnam on a 12-hour voyage return with a good catch. The real results will be known after a long voyage for at least a week or so,” Laxman Rao, Assistant Director of Fisheries, clarified.
Unprepared
The annual fishing ban, an initiative by the Government of India for conservation by facilitating breeding, began as scheduled from April 15 to June 15 in the entire east coast. It was prematurely ended on May 31 springing a big surprise to many. The ice plants here were not prepared to supply ice for refrigeration of fish on-board the boat. The boats neither could complete annual overhauling due to shortage of money and time. Enough boat crew were not available as many migrated back to their native places due to COVID-19 pandemic, said Dolphin Boat Owners’ Welfare Association president Ch. Satyanarayana Murthy.
