“Though there is no restriction on fishing after the ban period, fishermen are going to face multiple issues, including sale and export of fish, and high price of diesel. They don’t know whether the fish they catch will be sold and will be exported during the pandemic time,” K Bharathi, president, South Indian Fishermen Welfare Association, told DT Next. 

The 61-day annual fishing ban period started on April 14 and will end on Monday night. However, the situation before and after the ban period are not the same. Before the ban period, there were no restrictions. But now, due to the pandemic lockdown and restriction in sale, fishermen are confused whether to venture for fishing or not. 

Pointing out the restrictions on the sale of fish, Bharathi said the State government permitted only wholesale traders into fishing markets. When mechanised boat fishermen enter Kasimedu fishing harbour, there would be chaos due to the restrictions imposed as part of the lockdown, he added. 

Apart from that, Kerala is an important market for the catch from Chennai. Now, however, the fishermen are not sure whether the fish would be allowed into Kerala. Last year, the catch from Tamil Nadu were thrown on the road by Kerala officials on many occasions citing restrictions. 

Similar doubts persist among fishermen from Nagapattinam coast to Rameswaram, as majority of the catch is exported, said V Kumaravel from Vangakadal Meenavar Sangam. In the absence of clarity from the union government whether export would be allowed, many from the region are not ready to venture to the sea, he said. 

“Though there is no ban on export of fish, there is no clear permission from countries that have to receive the fish from Tamil Nadu,” Kumaravel added. 

When asked about the lack of clarity about export of fish, a senior official from Fisheries Department, who took charge only recently, said that State government would fully cooperate with the fishermen, and assured that any issue brought to their notice would be sorted out.