Fishermen seek Rs 15,000 aid during 2-month fishing ban

BERHAMPUR/KENDRAPADA: The Odisha Traditional Fish Workers’ Union has demanded a compensation of at least Rs 15,000 per month for each fishermen family during the fishing ban imposed from Saturday.
In a bid to conserve fish during their breeding period, the fisheries department imposed restrictions on mechanised fishing vessels for two months from April 15 to June 14. Mechanised boats, big vessels and trawlers will not be allowed in the sea during the period. Only the traditional boats will be allowed for fishing in the sea, a notification issued by the director of fisheries said.“Around 1.50 lakh traditional fishermen in the state dependent on the fishing activities for their livelihood, will be affected by the ban,” said K Alleya, general secretary of the union.
“We demand the government should provide at least Rs 15,000 per family per month during the ban period,” said Alleya. He further said fisherwomen should also be provided the compensation as they are involved in selling and transporting of fish.
He said the Andhra Pradesh government has announced Rs 10,000 for each eligible family under the YSR Matsyakara Bharosa scheme during the fishing ban period.
Subrat Patnaik, additional fisheries officer (Ganjam), said the government provides Rs 4,500 per family as livelihood support during the ban period. The scheme is called ‘Livelihood and Nutritional Support for Socio-Economically Backward Active Traditional Fishers’ Families during Fishing Ban/ Lean Period’.
Under the scheme each beneficiary pays Rs 1,500 as their share, while the rest Rs 3,000 was provided equally by the state and central governments. “Members of the fishermen cooperative societies are eligible to get the benefit. As many as 3,322 fishermen will be benefited under the scheme in Ganjam district this year compared to 3,012 families last year,” he added.
Alleya alleged that several fishermen could not get benefit of the scheme because they were unable to pay their share.
Around 20,000 fishermen from Andhra Pradesh who live in coastal villages of Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapada are returning home due to the ban. Satyen Rao (42), a fisherman who stays in Sandhakuda village in Paradip, said, “My mother fell sick. I need to return to my native Uppada village in Andhra Pradesh’s East Godavari district to take care of her.”
“Every year, around 50,000 fishermen from Andhra Pradesh travel to the coastal pockets of Puri, Ganjam, Kendrapada and Jagatsinghpur districts in July to earn their livelihood. They return to Andhra during the ‘fishing holiday’ period,” said Prasana Behera, president of the union.