Stay away from sea, fishermen told

Meteorological Department predicts heavy to very heavy rainfall on December 1 and 2

Fishing boats anchored at the fishing harbour in Thoothukudi on Tuesday.

Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea from Wednesday onwards as weather conditions not conducive to fishing have been predicted. Indian Meteorological Department, Chennai has predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall on December 1 and 2 in the wake of low pressure formed over the South East Bay and adjoining equatorial Indian ocean. It’s likely to turn into a depression during the next 24 hours and move towards Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts, sources said.

Under its influence, light to moderate rainfall is expected at many places over the coastal states since evening of November 30. Wind velocity of 65 kilometres per hour (kmph) is predicted along and off these coastal states on December 1and 2. Normally, the ideal wind velocity to take up fishing is between 45 kmph and 55 kmph, sources said. Hence, the fishermen, who were already in deep sea, had been advised to return to the shore.

In the wake of the demonetisation, fishing operations by mechanised boats stood suspended. However, such operations were resumed only a few days ago. Of the 250 mechanized boats from Thoothukudi fishing harbour, 122 boats ventured into the sea on Tuesday sources told

The Hindu .

The weather warning instructing the fishermen to be cautious had been conveyed to presidents of coastal hamlets through fishermen cooperative societies across the district. Besides, such message would also be conveyed through churches in coastal hamlets, sources said.

Since the fishing operations by mechanised boats were carried out on a daily basis after permit tokens were given to venture in to the sea from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m., efforts to prevent mechanized boat fishermen from fishing would be easy. As for country craft fishing, the fishermen would normally engage in stay fishing at sea for days until sufficient catch was netted. Hence, these fishermen were also being contacted over mobile phones and those at far off places at sea were being contacted through Very High Frequency (VHF) communication devices equipped in boats, sources said.