After the annual fishing ban ended, the fishermen from the coastal hamlets had ventured into the sea on Tuesday night and returned in the early hours on Thursday.
Though the markets were flooded with the catch and crowds thronged to buy them, fishermen leader Jesu Raja said that the catch was not very encouraging.
The 61-day annual ban ended on June 14, but the fishermen from Rameswaram, Mandapam and Thangachimadam had not set off into the sea the following day (June 15). For almost a fortnight, the fishermen took time to repair the boats, fishnets and also had to take the Covid-19 vaccine. Above all, the lockdown restrictions, though there were certain relaxations, had made them venture into the Palk Bay for fishing only on June 29 night, he said.
On the reasons for the poor catch, Mr. Jesu Raja said that the annual ban period, which was meant for production, was misused by some country boat fishermen, who ventured into the sea. The Fisheries Department officials should have been more vigilant, he said.
On the mechanised boat fishermen venturing into the sea without obtaining tokens from the Fisheries Department, Mr. Jesu Raja said that it was unfortunate. “Our association from five districts including Pudukottai, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam had passed resolutions urging the fishermen to follow the regulations but they had ventured into the sea on June 29 night itself,” he said.
However, a mechanised boat owner Anthony Jesu from Thangachimadam said that only on the first day after the annual ban ended, fishermen set off in a bid to get the best catch from the seas.
The CITU fishermen wing district secretary M. Karunamoorthy said that the Fisheries Department officials should take stern action against those fishermen and seize their mechanised boats, who had not obtained tokens. Venturing into the sea without taking tokens was a high risk, especially, when the Sri Lankan Navy was rude with the fishermen.
The State government should determine the price for the fish on the lines of fixation for paddy and other produce, Mr. Jesu Raja said and added that export varieties were being procured by the export firms for a paltry ₹350 per kg, while it was being sold at ₹800 and above by them, he charged.
The government should also enhance subsidies for diesel as the price per litre was ₹100. Moreover, the cost of fishnet, repairs and ice had gone up due to several factors, while the export firms procured prawns for a paltry price. The fishermen too had to part with it immediately as they do not have any storage facilities, he pointed out.