Maharashtra Extends Monsoon Fishing Ban Till August 15

State Fisheries and Ports Development Minister Nitesh Rane announced in the Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha on Monday that the Centre had initially enforced the ban from June 1 to July 31 along the west coast. However, the ban has now been extended further in Maharashtra by 15 days.

The move follows long-standing demands from fishermen’s organisations, which argued that extending the ban would improve fish regeneration and align Maharashtra’s policy with neighbouring Gujarat, where the fishing ban remains in force until August 15.

“The ban, which previously covered a 61-day period from June 1 to July 31, will now remain in effect until August 15. A large-scale fishing of juvenile fish occurs at the start of the fishing season, which adversely affects overall fish production. To curb this practice, various fishermen's cooperative societies had requested the government to extend the monsoon fishing ban until August 15. Following these representations, reports were sought from the District Committee and the State Advisory and Monitoring Committee. These committees also gave a positive recommendation to fix the state’s monsoon ban period from June 1 to August 15. Accordingly, the government has issued an official order extending the ban period,” said Rane.

The extension aims to conserve fish stocks, provide adequate breeding time for marine species and ensure the long-term sustainability of fisheries, the minister said.

The ban applies primarily to mechanised boats (like trawlers) and large motorised vessels. It prohibits commercial fishing in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and territorial waters.

However, traditional, non-motorized and small artisanal country boats are generally exempt from this ban, allowing subsistence fishing to continue in local near-shore waters.

Rane said that the decision would also help safeguard fishermen from risks posed by rough weather conditions, including strong winds, cyclones, unseasonal rainfall and turbulent seas during the early monsoon period.

The minister also issued a stern warning that the Fisheries Department will take strict action against any fishing boats from other states found engaging in unauthorized fishing within Maharashtra’s territorial waters.

He assured that, in the interest of maritime security and the welfare of fishermen, the Fisheries Department’s patrol squad would monitor such unauthorized fishing and take legal action.

According to state officials, if there is no uniformity in the fishing ban periods observed by neighboring states like Gujarat and Maharashtra, there is a risk of boats from one state entering the other’s territorial waters to fish. Therefore, this decision has been taken to ensure legal consistency.