Country boat fishermen on Friday began an indefinite strike in protest after 37 mechanised boats operating from Thoothukudi fishing harbour ventured into the sea the previous day.
As per stipulated norms, mechanised boats operating from the harbour should return to their base before 9 p.m. every day after leaving the shore at 5 a.m. Although mechanised boat fishermen, who constructed their boats in violation of the norms, exerted pressure on the official machinery for the past several years to permit multi-day stay fishing, the opposition of country boat fishermen kept the ban intact till recently.
However, 163 mechanised boats violated the ban in September last and the violators were subsequently not allowed to go for fishing by officials. Challenging the move, the boat owners approached the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court and reportedly obtained an interim stay on the order. After submitting the interim stay order to Collector Sandeep Nanduri on Monday, members of the Deep Sea Fishing Mechanised Boats Welfare Association declared that they would leave for multiday stay fishing soon.
Opposing the decision, the country boat fishermen submitted a petition to the Collector, stating that multiday stay fishing would lead to mid-sea collisions and clashes.
They pointed out that the Madurai Bench had directed the mechanised boats to register with the Mercantile Marine department.