India, Feb. 27 -- The Kerala fisheries industry including fish landing centres, fishing trawlers and fish markets went on strike on Thursday in protest against the Union government's move to auction five blocks off the state's coast to mine sand and other minerals from the sea.

The Fisheries Coordination Committee (FCC), consisting of members from trade unions allied with the Left parties and Congress, called for a 24-hour 'coastal hartal' (strike), starting from Thursday.

With fishing vessels anchored to the coast and fish sales and processing units striking work on Thursday, a large number of fishermen participated in protest meetings across the state. They raised concerns that offshore mining near the Kerala coast will harm the marin...