Home Ministry exempts fisheries from lockdown amid Coronavirus pandemic

Ministry of Home Affairs, on Friday evening, issued guidelines exempting the fishing industry and the aquaculture industry from the lockdowns. India is in the final days of the 21-day lockdown issued by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to stop the spread of coronavirus.

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Fisheries exempted

The release by the government read that the lockdown "exempts from lockdown restrictions the operations of the Fishing (Marine)/Aquaculture Industry, including feeding and maintenance, harvesting, processing, packaging, cold chain, sale and marketing; hatcheries, feed plants, commercial aquaria, movement of fish/ shrimp and fish products, fish seed/feed and workers for all these activities."

All essential services such as hospitals, media, vendors of fruits and vegetables, etc have exempted from the lockdown. 

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on March 24, announced that the country will be in a lockdown for three weeks effective midnight. In an address to the country PM Modi stated that in order to break the contact chain and stop the transmission of Coronavirus, it is important to stay at home and not venture out. Highlighting the dangers of venturing out, PM Modi warned the citizens that families will be devastated forever if the necessary precautions are not taken. He admitted that the country will be facing severe economic setbacks, but the lockdown is absolutely necessary.

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He said, "As per health experts, a period of at least 21 days is extremely critical to break the infection chain of Coronavirus. If the situation is not handled in these 21 days, the country and your family could go back 21 years. If the situation is not handled in these 21 days, several families will get devastated forever. Hence, you must forget what going out means for the next 21 days. Stay inside your home, stay inside your home, and do just one thing- stay inside your home."

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