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Fishermen in Chennai are witnessing a sharp dip in sales of fish following the State government's ban on mechanised deep-sea fishing in the region for 45 days. The ban was imposed on April 15 and will last till May 31. Under the Tamilnadu Deep-sea Fishing Regulation Act of 2001, trawlers and other mechanized boats are not allowed to go for deep-sea fishing, as this is the peak time for fishes to breed. However, manual fishing boats and catamarans are excluded from the ban. "We are facing a lot of hardship with the 45-day ban imposed on fishing. Lot of customers are asking for fish but we are unable to sell them because there is no fish. Even it is available, the price is high and buyers return without buying fish. It is only about this ban, if it comes to an end, we could earn something, but till then we have to manage," said Sakuntla, a fish-seller at a market. Locals complain that no fish is available for less than Rs 200 per kilogram. "The fish was 100 rupees per kilogram, and now they are asking for 200 to 300 rupees. We cannot buy it. Poor people can just not afford to buy it," said Syed Ansari, a customer. The state's Fishery Department said that they are providing Rs 500 to each fisherman for the season till the ban is lifted. However, the fishermen say that the compensation is paltry.

Mechanized fishing banned in Chennai, to help fish breeding