Ramanathapuram
Traditional and country boat fishermen thronged the Collectorate here on Wednesday, alleging that they faced threat to their livelihood after fishermen from other districts and local mechanised boat fishermen trespassed into their fishing areas and destroyed their fishing nets, lone liners and other paraphernalia.
Led by M. Karunamurthy, district secretary of the CITU-affiliated Tamil Nadu Meenpidi Thozhirsanga Koottamaippu, representatives of fisherfolk from hamlets in the southern coast in the district sought the intervention of Collector K. Veera Raghava Rao and to protect their livelihood.
The fishermen said they faced threat to their livelihood from local mechanised boat fishermen on the one side and fishermen from Kanniyakumari and Thoothukudi on the other. If the mechanised boat fishermen trespassed into their fishing areas – three nautical miles from the shore, fishermen from other districts dominated fishing, using high-powered boats, they said.
The mechanised boat fishermen violated the Tamil Nadu Marine Fisheries Regulation Act, 1983, but no action was taken against them, they said. Similarly, fishermen from other districts engaged in illegal fishing, he alleged. The fishermen had been facing the problem every year from October to March but no solution was found, Mr Karunamurthy said.
After their representation on November 2, the Collector had banned fishing by other districts fishermen. Officials also had assured permission would not be given for other districts fishermen but 15 fibreglass boats from other districts were being used for fishing in Melamundal and Keelamundal areas, he said.
He said more than 20,000 traditional and country boat fishermen eked out a living by fishing within three nautical miles from Mandapam to Erwadi. The Collector has invited the fishermen for talks on Thursday and assured to work out a lasting solution, he said.
