Media report states that usually fishing season in Dakshina Kannada district get over only in June officially but now it appears to be over this year already fifteen days too early. Most of the fishing vessels are not going anywhere- the reason was dismal volumes of catch. it was reported that out of 1200 vessels (including the country craft) only 600 are going on fishing expedition and coming back with a catch that barely meets their diesel expenses and crew wages.
Fishermen leader Loknath Bolar informed that there are times when they returned with no catch at all. He added that the government every year gives out 75,000 kilo liters of subsidised diesel for the entire state and about 48 percent is consumed in the Dakshina Kannada district. But this time atleast 25 percent of the district’s consumption has come down which he attributes to the fishing vessels not going on expeditions.
Experts believe that one of the main reasons behind such an early closing of the season is the over fishing by the fishermen and some others relate to the irrational and un-sustainable methods of fishing by the foreign bull trawlers in the deep sea. According to the distribution of license of fishing in Indian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) for the Indian Fishing Corporations as well as the foreign trawlers, there are at-least 90 trawlers and about 50 industrial fishing fleet are engaged in fishing in the Indian EEZ through out the season and monsoons.
