Protesting the district administration’s decision to ban fishing indefinitely in the wake of sudden rise in COVID-19 cases, mechanised boat fishermen blocked vehicular traffic on New Harbour Road in front of the fishing harbour here on Tuesday.
As influx of COVID-19 fresh cases is on the rise in the district, the administration organised a special camp at Terespuram, housing over 2,000 fishermen families, to take samples from residents of this area, known for its insanitary conditions and high population density. Of 200 samples taken from suspected cases, 40 of them were found to have contracted SARS-CoV-2 virus. Consequently, a few streets of the highly congested Terespuram have become containment zones.
Since more than 95% of residents of Terespuram are fishermen, the administration banned fishing activities in this area, with over 1,500 country boats, in a bid to check entry of outsiders, particularly fish traders, who may contract the infection here and pass it on to others. Moreover, fishing operations from Thoothukudi Fishing Harbour were also stalled as a good number of fishermen from Terespuram are working in mechanised boats. So, country boats of Terespuram and the Fishing Harbour’s mechanized boats abstained from fishing operations on Tuesday.
While country boat fishermen accepted the fishing ban after understanding the reality, fishermen of mechanised boats from other areas refused to accept it and staged a road roko in front of the fishing harbour.
“After losing income for about 90 days, we started fishing operations on June 1. The ban will affect mechanised boat fishermen. The administration may tell boat owners not to employ workers from containment zones while allowing others to continue fishing operation,” the protesting fishermen said.
When the police and fisheries department officials held talks with the protesters, it was decided to allow fishing operations by mechanised boats from Wednesday strictly with fishermen from non-containment zones. Accepting it, the fishermen withdrew the hour-long agitation.
