Inclement weather has dampened the spirit of fishermen who are forced to cut short their voyage following warning by the Fisheries Department not to venture into the sea.
With lot of enthusiasm, 60 per cent of 650-odd mechanised boats and several fibre boats went on voyage on the midnight of June 15 after completion of the 61-day annual ban period.
Incidentally, cyclone Hudhud in October last forced them to stay off fishing for almost two months.
Boats that went towards Kakinada, Pudimadaka, Annavaram, Bhimili, and close-by areas have already returned to the base here.
“All the crew members are safe and we have conveyed the weather forecast to all of them in time,” Joint Director of Fisheries Koteswara Rao told The Hindu on Saturday.
After investing heavily on overhauling and repair of boats, the owners of the fish crafts had exuded confidence of netting a big catch due to extension of ban period as part of conservation effort from 45/47 days to 61 days this year. “Those who have gone for short voyage have returned to the shore. However, others who sailed towards north, in the area between Bhavanapadu and Puri, have tied their vessels at the anchorage. The weather and winds at a speed of 40-45 kmph came as a big disappointment for all of us,” P.Ch. Appa Rao, president of AP Mechanised Boat Operators’ Welfare Association, said. Boats that set out on long voyage for 10 to 15-day duration had to go by loading an estimated 4,000 litres of diesel.
“The catch after resumption of fishing will not be enough to meet our operational cost due to aborted voyage,” Ch. Satyanarayana Murthy, president of Dolphin Boat Operators’ Welfare Association, said.
Fishermen, who went on voyage on June 15 hoping for net gains after the ban period, forced to return
