TIRUNELVELI
Even as fish price is skyrocketing, country boat fishermen in the district have decided to stop fishing operations as inmates of coastal hamlets fear that a huge number of traders would throng these villages causing viral infection.
Fishing operations across the State came to a grinding halt in the third week of March after the State and the Central governments declared lockdown driving seafood lovers towards dry fish.
Even as this stock was depleting, country boat fishermen urged the State government to allow them to resume operations so that consumers would continue to get seafood. The State government allowed country boat fishermen to fish in a regulated manner. However, mechanised boat fishermen could not do so as the 60-day annual fishing ban started on April 15.
When the Centre exempted fishing operations by country boat fishermen from the lockdown, the fishing schedule imposed by the State government vanished allowing country boat fishermen to go for fishing on all days. Though country boat fishermen of Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi districts agreed to resume their operations and sell catches as directed by officials, their counterparts in Kanniyakumari decided to abstain from fishing.
Each country boat is permitted to carry a maximum of four fishermen with mask and sanitiser. The catches should be brought to the shore and sold to traders in a regulated manner instead of allowing a huge gathering on the shore for purchase of fish through auction, the usual procedure.
As only country boat fishermen were allowed, fish price increased with demand also going up. While one kg of barracuda (ooli), which was sold at ₹ 350 before the lockdown, was sold at ₹ 650 a kg and one kg of white snapper (velameen that was sold for ₹ 300) was sold at ₹ 600. Price of ‘seela meen’ (seer fish), the premium variety, crossed ₹ 1,000 a kg from ₹ 600 a kg.
When fishermen from all 10 coastal hamlets in Tirunelveli district resumed operations, traders of Tirunelveli and Kanniyakumari, who had to go to Terespuram, Tharuvaikulam, Vembar and New Harbour Beach in Thoothukudi district for buying the fishes, rushed to these hamlets. So, even small catches fetched huge money for the fishermen.
“Our people enjoyed decent revenue after resuming operations,” said Raymond of Uvari, the largest fishing hamlet of Tirunelveli. One sardine was sold for ₹ 13, which is an unprecedented price in the local market due to huge demand and low availability. Previously, even during the non-season, one could buy 3 to 5 sardines for ₹ 10 in the local market. There is no need for going into the prices of barracuda, white snapper, silver pomfret or seer fish, he added.
“While barracuda is sold for ₹ 650 per kg, bigger size seer fish has crossed ₹ 1,000 a kg,” says trader Antony Clyton of Kooduthaazhai, another coastal hamlet.
Though demand for fishes is very high and fishermen are getting the best price for catches, country boat fishermen have decided to stop operations as they are worried that traders, coming to their villages from various parts, might bring infection to their hamlets.
“We cannot regulate traders who compete with one another for buying our catches. Consumers from villages close to coastal hamlets too are coming to buy fishes. All coastal villages are thus crowded which cannot be controlled. So we’ve decided to suspend operations as of now,” says fisherman Ramu of Idinthakarai.
The fishermen look up to the Department of Fisheries and the police to regulate sale of fishes as the fishermen bring catches to the shore.
“If officials design a system to buy fishes without crowd, it will be win-win situation for all. If such a system is put in place, all country boats in Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi will start fishing operations to bring down prices of fishes. Consumers too will continue to get fresh, delicious and nutritious seafood at right price,” says Mr. Raymond.
