Fishermen of at least 13 hamlets in the city are objecting to the construction of a modern wholesale fish market that will have 68 shops in Kotturpuram by the Greater Chennai Corporation.
Members, at a meeting convened by the Tamil Nadu Meenavar Munnetra Kazhagam and South Indian Fishermen Welfare Association at Srinivasapuram on Wednesday, said a wholesale market for imported fish would spell doom for the local fishing industry.
“We cannot survive if fish arrives from outside. As it is, we are struggling as our catch has reduced considerably. We might as well stop fishing activities in Chennai and get fish from other States if the Corporation is going to see this through,” said ‘Kabaddi’ Maran of the Kazhagam. Bharati of the Association said for the fishing industry to survive, hygienic markets with cold storage was necessary. “Our women sell fish sitting under the sun, in order to be able to sell the catch at whatever rate it fetches. The civic body announced way back in December 2012 that a modern fish markets would be constructed and even identified a land for it. However, nothing has come about in that regard,” he pointed out.
‘Only a few will benefit’Fishermen say they plan to stage a protest urging the government to stop the allocation of the 68 shops to wholesalers. “Only a few people will benefit from this move,” said a fisherman at the meeting.
