A Seminar topic on Closed seasons and its significance in fishing

1. Closed Seasons
and its Significance
in Fishing
Satyaveer
Fisheries resources and management

2. Introduction
• Fishery resources are although renewable but
exhaustible.
• Sustainable use of resource is very much important in
terms of nutrition and employment.
• Over exploitation diminishes species population and
eventually reduces economic returns.
• Due to high harvesting rates, many natural marine
resources have severely declined in abundance and
yields (Pauly et al., 2002).

3. • Annual potential yield of EEZ - 4.41 mt 2.13 mt demersal
zone, 2.07 mt from neretic pelagic and 0.22 mt from
oceanic pelagic waters.
• Considering the current yield from 0-50 m depth reaching
almost the potential level refraining from this zone.
• Resulted growth overfishing at several centres and inter-
sectoral conflicts in the coastal belt have highlighted the
need for regulation of fishing capacity, adoption of
responsible fishing practices and caution in marine capture
fisheries development.

4. • The state of marine fishery resources, based on FAO’s
monitoring of assessed marine fish stocks, has continued to
decline.
• The maximally sustainably fished stocks accounted for 59.9
percent,
• under fished stocks for 7.0 percent
• While overfished stocks accounted for 33.1 percent of the
total assessed stocks.
• This has led to considerable investment in ways to better
manage natural marine resources, including co-
management and ecosystem approaches that complement
traditional methods of management.

6. Measures Imposed to Control Overfishing
• Measures that are often implemented include
imposition of total allowable catches (TACs) or bag limits
restricting the amount of fish caught,
minimum size limits,
marine-protected areas,
specification of the gear that may be employed,
closed seasons and areas in which harvesting may not take
place.
• More specifically, closed seasons are often imposed during
the breeding period of the targeted species in the belief that
this will increase reproductive success.

7. Closed Seasons
• Closed seasons may be defined as prohibition of fishing
during a particular period of time mainly during
spawning of brood fishes in the specified area so as to
allow spawning and also the growth of the fry.
• It is a valid means of reducing effort directed at the
spawning stock (recruitment overfishing) that may
reduce the spawning stock to non- sustainable levels.
• This is particularly important for lithophilous and
phytophilous fish, since spawning may be disrupted and
eggs and fry destroyed if fishing is allowed at the wrong
time (Nikolskii, 1969).

8. • Seasonal closures can also be used to regulate fishing
directed at juveniles before they reach their growth potential
(growth overfishing).
• The motive of closed season is to ensure conservation of fish
during its breeding-period, so that fishermen can get the
maximum benefit.
• Otherwise, the fish productivity will decrease, and the
damage will be caused mostly to the traditional fishermen.
• Fishing ban is imposed during the monsoon-season, as the
sea becomes turbulent and the fishing ban is necessary to
protect life of the fishermen.

9. • To ban fishing within 12 nautical miles is subject of the
State Governments, which is imposed in the interests of
the livelihood of fishermen.
• The Fishing ban of different periods have been imposed
by the coastal State Governments since last decades.

10. History
• 1980 - seasonal fishing ban (trawlers) arose in Kerala
• 1981- A small-scale fisheries federation first launched
the call for the monsoon ban
• A government committee half-heartedly studied
the issue in 1982 and concluded that monsoon ban
was not needed
• Fishers answered with hunger fasts, roadblocks,
and public marches

11. • Pressure increased in the traditional fishing sector
strengthening through adopting intermediate
technology and motorizing boats (with government
support).
• Kerala’s formal 1988 monsoon season trawling
ban – a national first – was not particularly
successful initially
• The ban in Kerala eventually became permanent (if
still contested) and also travelled to other states,
often with similar politics and arguments.

12. • In Tamil Nadu, the ban was woven into contests
between perceived winners and losers in the fishery.
• closed season - mechanized boat fishers
small-scale fishers were excluded
• struggle brought to light tensions between capitalist
and small-scale fisher classes.
• Conflicts arose between in-state and out-of-state
fishers, as the lack of ban uniformity meant that the
larger mobile fishing boats could more easily find an
open fishing season in one geography or another.

13. • The entire state of Tamil Nadu would implement
a seasonal ban in 2001.
• In 2000, Goa reduced fishing ban from 90 to 54
days
• Public interest lawsuit asked the High Court of
Bombay to intervene – ordered for 65 days
• In December 2002, the central Ministry of
Agriculture banned monsoon fishing in the EEZ
beyond 12 nautical miles of the west coast and
directed states to agree on ban dates for their
own waters (GOI 2003)

14. • State ministers gathered in 2003 in New Delhi though a uniform period
never materialized.
• The Government of India constituted a committee in January 2004 to
study and report the impact of closed fishing season on the marine-
fishing resources, its relationship with the population dynamics, MSY
and MEY, etc.
• Major findings and recommendations of the committee are:-
• There is no uniform closed season as the period and duration as well as
the type of fishing craft or fishing banned varied from state to state.
• Closed season in its present operational regime has not positively
impacted the fishery resources but has helped to some extent in allowing
a respite for the resources for partial recovery.
• Though it is impossible to have a closed season coinciding with the peak
breeding of all commercial species, closed season is very essential for
recovery of the fish stock.

15. • In 2005, petition from the Goa Environment
Federation, the Supreme Court of India issued an
interim order for a uniform 67-day ban in all west coast
states from 10th June to 15th August, ‘keeping in view
the prime need to preserve the natural fishing resources
as also to protect the traditional fishermen.’
• This order exempted boats with engines up to 10 hp
• Despite the court order, subsequent revisions to rules at
the state and central government levels ultimately
meant that neither the ban period nor exemptions
became uniform. The door remained open to conflicts,
particularly on the west coast, until the uniform ban
began in 2015.

16. • Mandatory closed season for 47 days (from 15 June to 31
July in west coast an from 15 April to 31 May in east
coast) every year is recommended. Only sustenance
fishery using traditional and non-motorized or
motorized boats.
• As far as the fishing ban in the area of EEZ (beyond 12
nautical miles) is concerned, it was earlier applied for 47
days period.
• However, it was not matching with the ban period of
different states, and states were also implementing
different fishing ban in their waters.
• Because of the gap between the fishing ban periods of
different states and EEZ, the boats of one state were
entering into the waters of another state and thereby
causing disputes.

17. • Considering above situation, it was decided that
a uniform ban of 61 days will be applied in the
area of the Indian EEZ (beyond 12 nautical
miles).
• The above proposal was agreed by all the coastal
states/UTs except Kerala. However, it is also a
fact that Kerala, itself had previously applied the
fishing ban of 61 days during 1988, and ban of
67 days during 2006 in its territorial waters.

18. Variations of state seasonal Fishing
Bans (Subject to yearly change)
State/Territory Year of official
intro
Period Days Exceptions to the
ban
Gujarat 1998-1999 10th June to
15th Aug
67 None
Daman and Diu Unknown 1st June to
15th Aug
76 ‘Traditional’ and
motorized craft
Maharashtra 1990 10th June to
15th Aug
67 None
Goa 1989 10th June to
15th Aug
67 None
UK 1989 15th June to
29th July
45 Non-motorized and
motorized craft with

19. State/Terri
tory
Year of
intro
Period Days Exceptions to the ban
Udupi &DK 1989 15th June to
10th Aug
57 Non-motorized and motorized
craft with engines up to 25hp
Kerala 1988 15th June to
31st July
47 ‘Traditional’ or motorized craft
with engines up to 10 hp
West TN
EastTN
2001 15th June to
29 July
15th April to
31st May
45
47
Non-motorized and motorized
craft with engines up to 25 hp
Puducherry 2001 15th April to
31st May
47 Non-motorized and motorized
craft with engines up to 25 hp
AP 2000 15th April to
31st May
47 Non-motorized and motorized
craft with engines up to 25 hp
Odisha 2000 15th April to
15th June
62 Non-motorized and motorized
craft with engines up to 25 hp
West Bengal 1995 15th April to
31st May
47 Not available

20. Revised Closed Fishing Ban
• The Government of India imposed a uniform ban on
fishing by all fishing vessels in the Indian EEZ beyond
territorial waters on the east coast including Andaman
and Nicobar and west coast including Lakshadweep as
per mentioned below for conservation and management
for fishery resources and also for sea safety reasons.
• East coast – 15th April to 14th June including both days
(61 days)
• West coast – 1st June to 31st July including both days (61
days)
• The traditional non motorized units shall be exempted
from this uniform ban imposed in the Indian EEZ
beyond territorial waters.

22. Impact of closed fishing ban has
following socio-economic effect
• Due to insufficient income during monsoon period,
fishermen have to depend on the fish traders and
money lenders for loan.
• There is no alternative employment opportunity in
the coastal areas during monsoon period.
• Most of the fishermen are not skilled in attending
any other work and generally they do not want to
leave their villages.
• Also fishing during the breeding period leads to
decease in price because of abundant stocks.

23. Importance of closed fishing season
• The key objective of “seasonal ban” on fishing is to
protect fish wealth while commercially important
species breed.
• Earlier, the duration of the ban was 47 days, but now it
has been raised to 61 days. Later on, due to rising
discontent among fishing communities, the government
excluded traditional fishermen using non-mechanized
boats from the ban.
• Every year, large fishing boats do not venture into the
sea for 61 days during the ban to allow fish spawning.
• Though breeding takes place throughout the year, the
peak for several commercially important species is
during fishing ban i.e. during monsoon season.

24. • It’s allows several species of fish to spawn and provides
adequate protection.
• It prevents fishermen from risking their lives in the
choppy monsoon seas.
• Thus fishing ban helps in the conservation of fish stock
during breeding/spawning season and better
management of fishery resources for sustainable
utilization.
• Also protection of aggregations of species such as reef
fish can also have other benefits such as ecotourism,
which potentially is of more economic value than
harvesting.

25. • The Indian Mackerel and Indian Oil Sardine are
most important pelagic marine fishery resources
of India in the context of food and nutritional
security.
• Indian Mackerel spawned only once in a year
over a prolonged period extending from June to
November with a peak during July to August
• Indian Oil Sardine spawned generally only once
in a year & GSI showed high values in August-
September suggested maturity of gonads during
these months.

26. Why fishing ban is not successful?
• Politics and Nepotism
• Illiteracy
• Lack of awareness among fishing communities
• Political lobby
• Lack of implementation/enforcement

27. References
• FAO. FAO Globefish Reports – Small Pelagic – June 2013. Retrieved from
〈http:// www.thefishsite.com/reports/?Id=2257〉.
• Are closed fishing seasons an effective means of increasing reproductive
output? A per-recruit simulation using the limpet Cymbula granatina as a
case history. Clement J. Arendse, Anesh Govender, George M. Branch.
Science Direct (2007).
• Beverton, R.J.H., Holt, S.J., 1957. On the Dynamics of Exploited Fish
Populations. Fisheries Invest., Ser. 2 Mar. Fish. G.B. Minist. Agric. Fish.
Food No. 19: 533 pp.
• Ricker, W.E., 1975. Computation and interpretation of biological statistics
of fish populations. Bull. Fish. Res. Board Can. 191, 1–382.
• THE FISHERY CLOSED SEASON - AN OBSESSION G. Sudhakara Rao,
CMFRI Reports (2001).
• CMFRI Annual Report (2018)
• SOFIA (2018)