Around 630 trawling vessels operating out of Kochi, Vypeen and Munambam fishing harbours will remain grounded as the 52-day trawling ban comes into effect from Saturday midnight. The Fisheries Department has issued notice to traditional fishermen, directing them to carry their bio-metric identity cards during fishing ventures as part of measures to ensure their safety. An official of the department said here on Saturday that agencies like the Coastal Police and the Coast Guard would conduct inspections. The Fisheries Control Room will be operational, while Marine Enforcement and coastal police stations will remain alert to any situation arising from the imposition of the ban and the rough seas. The official added that one could contact coastal police stations at Fort Kochi (0484-2215006, 1093) and Azheekode (0480-2815100). Besides, Coast Guard (0484-2218969, 1554 (toll-free); Fisheries Control Room (0484-2502768), 9496007037, and 9496007029; Marine Enforcement (9496007048), and Navy (0484-2872354, 2872353) services will be available. Meanwhile, trawler owners said on Saturday that around 6,500 fishermen employed directly on trawlers and around 25,000 workers engaged in related activities like handling and processing would go jobless during the ban period. At the same time, traditional fishermen have welcomed the government’s decision to allow one carrier boat for fishing expeditions and demanded a comprehensive package for the protection and sustainability of fisheries resources. Juvenile fishing Fishermen have also called for a total ban on juvenile fishing as part of the conservation measures. In a memorandum forwarded by the Kochi-based Matysa Thozhilali Aikyavedi (fishermen’s unity centre), traditional fishermen said the decision to ban carrier boats had caused anxiety among them. However, it was later decided to allow one carrier boat each with the expeditions. They also highlighted the findings of a recent study by the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), which claimed that the catch of juvenile fish, mostly threadfinn breams, last year might have caused losses of up to Rs. 221 crore to the fisheries sector in the State.