As the two-month fishing ban period draws to a close, the mechanised boat fishermen of Rameswaram, Mandapam and Pamban are gearing up to resume fishing on June 15. They have completed around 70 % to 80 % of the maintenance works of boats and fishing nets .
The annual fishing ban which commenced on April 14 ends on June 14. The ban had been imposed to help replenish fish stock in the sea. The mechanised boat owners take up the maintenance works at least 10 days prior to resuming fishing.
The maintenance works include wood works, getting the fishing nets ready, painting of the boats, engine maintenance, changing the engine oil, checking for leakage and electrical works. They lamented that the maintenance cost had gone up due to the increase in the prices of essential commodities.
The maintenance cost per boat ranges from ₹1 lakh to ₹5 lakh. The diesel prices have gone up. The subsidy provided was not sufficient and the boat owners had to stock up additional fuel for the trip, said All Mechanised Boat Association president P. Sesu Raja of Ramanathapuram.
He said there were around 6,000 mechanised boats and at least 50 families were dependent on each boat. During the fishing ban period, the fishermen engaged by the boat owners had to take up odd jobs in order to make ends meet, he said.
P. Elstin, a boat owner, said that they had no work for most of the two-month ban period. They were dependent on their savings during this period. J. Antony Edison, a fisherman, said that the fishing nets were being mended all these days.
Deputy Director of Fisheries E. Kathavarayan said that the mechanised boats were not permitted to venture into the sea during the fishing ban period. Anyone found violating the order were to be booked under Tamil Nadu Marine Fishing Regulation Act. The physical verification of the mechanised boats would be conducted to check the boats for sea worthiness and whether they were ready for fishing.
