NEW DELHI: The Centre has exempted marine fishing operations, aquaculture industry, movement of fish/shrimp and fish products and workers for all these activities from the lockdown restrictions. The move will allow the enlisted fishing activities to be carried out during the lockdown period in all coastal states under a regulated provision of permits/passes, issued by district authorities, where workers will have to take all precautionary measures.In its fifth addendum to its lockdown guidelines, the home ministry on Friday put these activities under the exempted categories along with various other related works including operation of processing, packaging, cold chain, sale & marketing, hatcheries, feed plants and commercial aquaria in the marine fisheries sector. The move came in the backdrop of demands from the sector as lakhs of fishermen have been out of work ever since the lockdown was imposed to fight the spread of Covid-19. In his order, the Union home secretary Ajay Bhalla asked chief secretaries of states to allow these exemptions while adhering to social distancing and other precautionary measures.