Fishing boats come in different sizes and shapes mostly painted in bright colors. The demersal fishes of Kerala coast are exploited mainly by these mechanized trawlers which are 9 to21 meters in size with a large number of crew (15 to 50) needed for its operation. Usually these fishing boats spent 2 to 7 days in deep sea depending on the size and capacity before returning to their respective harbors with their catch. Trawling is banned for 47 days in Kerala during monsoon from June 15 as it is the breeding season for the fast depleting fishing stock and shrimps.
In February 2012, two Fishermen working in these type of trawlers were shot dead by Italian Marines aboard the oil tanker Enrica Lexie off Alleppey coast thinking that they were pirates. Italian marines involved in this case were arrested by Kerala police and are facing trial in India. This incident lead to a diplomatic scuffle between India and Italy.