The lockdown imposed to check the spread of COVID-19 which delivered a blow on the livelihood of fishermen appear to have turned out to be boon for them. The lockdown imposed in the March followed by annual fishing ban in mid-April rendered jobless thousands of fishermen in Visakhapatnam, among the major fishing hubs along the east coast. Experts say that the fishing holiday owing to the lockdown preceding the annual ban has augmented the fish population during the post-breeding season. As most of the fishermen preferred near-shore fishing, they could successfully lay their nets on the breeding grounds, leading to a good catch, he explained. Many fishermen also returned with a rich harvest of konam.

Source: The Hindu June 10, 2020 17:39 UTC