Fishermen and boat owners who waited for a good start following the lifting of the trawling ban were in for a disappointment on Monday because of the unexpected rough sea alert and the subsequent ban imposed on deep sea fishing by the Fisheries department.
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Many of them were totally upset as they feared the loss of industrial ice they stored in huge quantities in fishing boats to preserve the catch.
Boat owners from Vellayil and Puthiyappa harbours said each of them had spent about ₹20,000 for purchasing the industrial ice alone. “No seller would take it back. If the ban on fishing continues for a few more days, we are sure to lose a huge amount,” they said.
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Many of the fishers and boat owners were also concerned about perishable items loaded in the boats for cooking purposes. They said they were totally clueless about recovering the huge loss and venturing again with fresh stock.
“Sadly, about 150 boats that left Beypore, Puthiyappa and Vellayil harbours soon after lifting the trawling ban on Sunday midnight were in a situation to anchor at the nearest harbour following emergency wireless alerts,” said Irfan Habeeb, a fisherman from Vellayil who is also the district secretary of Matsya Thozhilali Congress. He claimed that those who left the shore on Sunday midnight had not received any timely alerts from the authorities.
Mr. Habeeb also claimed that many of the boat owners did not even receive the wireless messages due to the unexpected frequency issues.
“Though there were attempts on the part of the Fisheries department to address such concerns, we are not sure about the return of all those who resumed fishing on Sunday midnight,” he said. Meanwhile, officials with the Fisheries department said the fishing boats that left the harbours in Kozhikode were all safe and back to the nearest harbours following safety alerts. They also called upon boat owners and fishers to cooperate with the latest safety instructions considering the nature of the season and the chances of high tide.