NAGAPATTINAM: Fishers could be in imminent danger of contracting COVID-19 if they resume fishing. The Centre recently announced it is exempting fishing from lockdown restrictions. Irrespective of the possibility of extension of the lockdown, many experts states a return to fishing would be very risky, considering the number of surfaces fishers usually come in touch with. "Virus outbreaks are challenging to contain in places such as fishing hamlets. People need to be sensitised about social distancing and hand washing. Since they live in close proximity one another, it becomes more challenging. It is important to keep the virus out of fishing hamlets," said Dr K Gopala Rathinam, a retired public health officer.

A study was conducted by The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), a weekly medical journal published by the Massachusetts Medical Society, on the surface lifespan of  novel coronavirus, which has been recognised by WHO.

The journal states the virus can live on surfaces for a few minutes to four days. Surfaces like paper and tissue paper, copper, cardboard, wood, clothes, stainless steel, polypropylene plastic, class and paper money are used in fishing. "The virus spreads through droplets from sneezing and coughing if an individual comes in contact with surfaces contaminated by another individual in places like boats and harbours in the case of fishers. It becomes dangerous and and makes for circumstances for easy transmission of the virus," said Dr M Shalini, Consultant Epidemiologist, Meenakshi Multi Speciality Hospital, Thanjavur.

Retired public health officer Dr S Balasubramanian said, "The virus spreads through contamination in aerosol, surfaces and direct contact. It is a seventh-generation mutated virus. The risk of the virus spreading in places like fishing villages is quite high once there is an outbreak."

The annual fishing ban for states such as West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry is in effect from April 15 to June 14.  The ban differs for States like Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala, who fish in the west in the Arabian Sea. Their ban starts on June 1 and ends on July. 31.

This ban applies to mechanised boat fishers, while fibreglass boat fishers are exempted from the ban.

Speaking to TNIE, R Amal Xavier, Joint Director, Fisheries department, said, "We are planning to block mechanised fishers from fishing as the annual ban is only a couple of days away. We have sought opinions from representatives of fibreglass boat fishers. Some of them, particularly in southern parts like Nagapattinam taluk, have said they would refrain from fishing. Representatives in villages in some of the north taluks like Sirkazhi and Tharangambadi have expressed their willingness to go to sea."

Fishers have mixed opinions. S Karthikeyan, a fisher representative from Poompuhar, said, "We cannot maintain social distancing as there would be crowds in the harbour when we land with fish. We cannot focus on work if we have to focus on washing hands every half an hour after touching surfaces." District Collector Praveen P Nair said, "We would conduct a meeting with stakeholders and participants of the Crisis Management Committee and take a call on whether to allow fishers to resume or not."