Fishermen’s union Matsya Thozhilali Aikya Vedi has demanded the arrest of the captain of the ship that was involved in an accident in the early hours of Sunday off the coast of Kayamkulam. Seven fishermen were injured, three of them seriously.
Aikya Vedi spokesman Charles George said it was a matter of sadness and shame that the ship was yet to be identified despite the accident occurring close to the Southern Naval Command in Kochi. The fishermen were lucky that they survived. The ship, described by the rescued fishermen as a container carrier, did not even slow down and escaped in violation of international maritime rules, he said.
Mid-sea accidents involving large vessels and fishing boats have become common, especially off the coast of Kerala, where around 27,000 fishing vessels are in operation, said Mr. Charles pointing out that the government must insist on the large ships keeping to the international channel instead of coming close to the coast.
He said the fishermen had demanded the Coast Guard and the Navy to deploy a Dornier aircraft to trace the container ship that was involved in the accident. However, that had not been done, he said. He also alleged that India had consistently failed to assert its rights in its seas as was evident from the case involving the ship Enrica Lexi . The Italian marines, who shot two Indian fishermen from the vessel in February 2012, have been let off free.
The fishermen’s union also said that fishing had become a risky and dangerous affair with around 54 fishermen being killed on an average every year. It is high time that India drew up its maritime policy keeping in mind the safety and the rights of its fishermen, he added.
