When black swallowed blue

The recent oil spill off the Kamarajar Port has spelt disaster for the fishing community. The public’s doubts about consuming fish is only making matters worse, says fisherman C. Munusamy to AKILA KANNADASAN

February 10, 2017 04:23 pm | Updated 09:24 pm IST

The Nochi Kuppam fishmarket, among the most animated places in the city, wears a deserted look. A sense of resignation clings to the numerous shanties that line the beach — business has been dull; close to nil to be precise. Most homes here depend on daily wages — everything, from rice to tamarind, is bought on an everyday basis. So every passing day makes people’s lives more difficult. The oil spill, off the Kamarajar Port at Ennore, caused as a result of an accidental collision of two cargo ships, has spelt doom for the fisherfolk. No one wants to eat fish right now. But is there truth in the assumption that fish caught at sea is contaminated? Fisherman C. Munusamy has answers...

I went to sea as usual that day. It was a little later than 3 a.m.; that’s when I usually head out on my hand-operated fibreboat. Suddenly, the thuduppu (oar) felt slippery. I then realised that something was not right. When the sun rose that day, I saw the worst sight of my life — the blue expanse was covered in black. I’ve encountered oil spills before, but this was unlike anything I’d ever seen.

 

It’s been over 10 days since the spill and life has become a nightmare. I live in Thiruvottriyur; my wife sells the fish I bring at a market there. You should see the market now. It’s empty. People have stopped eating fish, thinking that it’s contaminated. What with the media constantly showing videos and pictures of an oily sea, they fear that the fish caught in these waters may cause health hazards.

But this is not true. We do not work in shallow waters. The spill happened on the water’s edge; even people like me, who don’t have engine-operated boats, head out far into the sea to fish. I usually row for three hours before I spread out the nets. You can imagine how far out I must be then. Despite the oil spill, I’m trying my luck with the net every day. But the fish have all migrated.

I went even this morning, but returned with less than Rs. 100 worth of fish. During the first few days after the incident, all of us who went to sea would return with our bodies covered in oil. This is because we have to push through the sludge to get to deep sea. I spend a long time cleaning myself and my boat with kerosene every day.

Of the 700 fishermen in my area, only 200 of us continue to go fishing. The rest are cooped up at home. Even if they struggle to bring in a good catch, there’s no surety that it will get sold. My wife told me how she gave away fish free of cost to passers-by at the market. Some paid her Rs. 50 for fish that cost more; but she wanted to ensure that at least someone ate the fish, instead of throwing them away. They were fresh and were as clean as they come.

 

You see, every time there’s a catastrophe, it’s our community that suffers the most. The 2004 Tsunami, the Vardah disaster… I’m yet to get the Government compensation for the cyclone, and now have to deal with the oil spill. But I’m not going to give up. Even now, I’ve come with my fellow fishermen to the office of the Indian Fisherman Association, with photocopies of my boat’s details and other proof to apply for compensation.

I know the oil spill will have long-term effects on us. But the situation will improve if people believe in us — it is absolutely safe to eat fish. Look at us, that’s all we are eating these days. With very less income, we end up consuming most of what we catch and we are healthy. Our community has fish with almost every meal and our health is much better that any of those in the city. We rarely need to wear glasses, for fish is good for the eyes.

A fisherman may have a lot of problems in life, but his eyesight is never one of them.

What is the effect of the oil spill on marine life?

M.D. Dhayalan, President, Indian Fisherman Association, says: “The oil spill will have a long-lasting effect on fish breeding. This is because the oil is spread entirely across the water’s edge, where fish come to breed. It’s in shallow waters that they can find feed for their hatchlings. Now that the oil has seeped into the seabed, the feed has been wiped out; it will take years to set this right. The lack of oxygen in the water due to the oil will have forced the fish to migrate far, causing further distress to fishermen. The immediate requirement is compensation. We have asked for a minimum of Rs. 500 crore from the two shipping companies for fishermen in Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur and Chennai. Another quick solution is to establish artificial coral reefs, which will attract fish to breed.”

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.