Ramanathapuram
Failing to get diesel at the subsidised rate, mechanised boat fishermen who set out for fishing ending a 61-day fishing ban period burnt their fingers despite getting fairly good catch on the first day of fishing.
If the catch was good and the Sri Lankan Navy, patrolling on the International Maritime Border Line (IMBL) appeared lenient even when they sailed up to the IMBL, the price of diesel at ₹ 73 per litre hit the fishermen badly, they said.
More than 7,000 fishermen from Rameswaram, Mandapam and Pamban who had ventured into the Palk Bay on about 1,300 trawlers on Friday evening, hours before ending the ban period and without obtaining fishing permits, fished on Friday night and the whole of Saturday before returning to the shore on Sunday morning.
The fishermen came back with good catch – an average of 150 kg to 200 kg of shrimps per trawler apart from 40 to 50 kg of crab and ‘kanavai’ but the boat owners were disappointed as they could not make much return after spending ₹ 60,000 to ₹1 lakh on diesel alone.
P. Sesu Raja, leader of a fishermen association, said if the catch was worth ₹ 1 lakh on a trawler, the owner drew nil or less after paying ₹ 30,000 towards wages for driver and six fishermen on board and spending about ₹ 70,000 on diesel.
The fishermen also could not get good price even for the best product as the buyers, mostly export companies, formed a syndicate and fixed the price, they alleged and demanded government intervention. Well-grown shrimps were sold at the maximum of ₹ 475 per kg, the fishermen said.
Fisherman A. Irudhayaraj, who went for fishing, said 95% of the trawlers confined to the Indian waters and a very few crossed the IMBL to fish near Katchatheevu and return. This time, the fishermen avoided crossing the IMBL, though the Lankan Navy appeared lenient, he said.
Instead of sailing in the east and crossing the IMBL, the fishermen sailed towards north and remained on the Indian waters, he said.
