About 12,000 people dependent on fishing along the Karnataka coast are likely to get enhanced monetary benefit, under savings-cum-relief scheme, during the three months of the monsoon, from the current Rs. 900 to Rs. 1,500 a month, from the next fishing holiday season.
It will be available to members of various fishing cooperative societies spread across the coast, numbering about 88 in the districts of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada.
They include fishermen, fisherwomen and others entirely depending upon the fishing industry, said Vasudeva Boloor, vice-president of National Fish Workers Forum.
Mr. Boloor told The Hindu that one of the demands of the forum, which held an agitation in New Delhi on March 10 this year, was enhancing the benefit from the Rs. 900 to Rs. 1,500 a month for three months.
The Union Agricultural Ministry, which held a meeting with the representatives of the forum on March 15, has agreed in principle to enhance the benefit, he said. The member of cooperative society, the State government and the Union government contribute an equal share towards this benefit. From the next fishing season, they would contribute Rs. 1,500 each towards this scheme, Mr. Boloor said.
The National Commission for Farmers in its recent report had recommended enhancement on the ground that Rs. 900 a month was insufficient for the members during the off-season. Mr. Boloor said that the benefit was conceived to benefit those depending upon the fishing industry, who would not have much income during the two-months of fishing holiday in June-July as well as during the first month of the fishing season in August.
Director of Fisheries Department Veerappa Gowda told The Hindu that the benefit was enhanced from Rs. 600 a month to Rs. 900 a month two years back.
He is yet to get any communication from the centre about the further enhancement of the benefit, Mr. Gowda said.
Fishermen, particularly those undertaking deep-sea fishing along the Karnataka coast, have adopted a novel method to hunt fish since about a year.
They have been using lights to attract the fish during the nights and are said to be getting good catch.
Since the practice was not followed earlier, the State government has now sought the opinion of the Karnataka Karavali Meenugarara Kriya Samithi, whether to allow the practice or not, said Vadudeva Boloor, general secretary of the samiti.
He said that the samiti, comprising representatives from different kinds of fishing vessels, from traditional to mechanised, would meet soon and evolve a consensus on the issue.
Money matters
Currently, Rs. 900 is being paid a month for three months of the fishing holiday
All those depending upon fishing, including fishermen, get this benefit
Holiday wage is payable to members of fishing cooperative societies
There are about 88 societies in coastal Karnataka with about 12,000 members
Proposal to enhance the wage to Rs. 1,500 a month under the Centre’s consideration
