Chennai, Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan' Makkal Neethi Maiam (MNM) party and the fishing community in Tamil Nadu are demanding the state government to increase the compensation to fishermen during the annual fishing ban season.

The 61-day annual fishing ban season began on April 15.

The MNM has demanded that the state government should double the compensation for loss of earnings to the fishing workers to Rs 10,000.

"Earlier the ban period was only for 45 days and the government paid Rs 5,000 as compensation for loss of earnings. Later the fishing ban period was increased to 61 days with no corresponding hike in the compensation," K. Bharathi, President, South Indian Fishermen Welfare Association told IANS.

The DMK in its poll manifesto had promised to increase the compensation to Rs 8,000 but there is no such announcement made by the government so far, he added.

Bharathi also said that while fishermen are banned from going into the sea during the season to enable breeding of fishes, there are no bans on industries that let out the effluents during the ban season.

According to Bharathi, the annual fishing ban began in 1991. There has been no study till date on the positive effect of the ban in the increase in fish population.

Responding to a query about the breeding season and the ban on fishing that is normally imposed between April 15 to June 14, he said, "Many fish varieties breed during October-November. The government should clearly announce the actual breeding season."