Kanniyakumari police have registered a case against 10 fishermen who ventured into the sea in mechanised boats from Chinna Muttam Fishing Harbour early on Tuesday morning without mandatory permission after allegedly issuing a threat to the security personnel posted there.
The police said the 300-odd mechanised boats operating from Chinna Muttam Fishing Harbour in the permitted timing from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. could not venture into the sea for the past few days due to inclement weather conditions.
When the fishermen sought permission from Fisheries Department officials on Monday for going for fishing, the officials told them that any decision in this connection could be taken only by the Director of Fisheries, Chennai. Even though the fishermen laid siege to the office of the Assistant Director of Fisheries, the officials remained firm in their decision.
Agitated over this, the fishermen, led by president of Chinna Muttam Mechanised Boat Owners’ Association Bhaskar, left the spot after leaving a letter in the Assistant Director’s office informing the officials that they would resume fishing operations on Tuesday.
Even though no permission for resuming fishing operation was given by the Director of Fisheries, the mechanised boat fishermen ventured into the sea in 305 mechanised boats in the early hours of Tuesday.
“The fishermen, who came to the Fisheries Department’s control room in the small hours of Tuesday, operated the winch to raise the iron rope, which has been tied across the harbour’s entry/exit point to regulate the movement of mechanised boats. When the security personnel on duty asked them not to do so, they issued a threat to them. Then the fishermen took 305 mechanised boats for fishing early on Tuesday morning,” said an official.
Based on the complaint from Natarajan, Assistant Director of Fisheries, Chinna Muttam Fishing Harbour, Kanniyakumari police have registered a case against 10 persons.
