Tension erupted at the Neendakara fishing harbour early on Wednesday following the disappearance of 15 in-board fitted traditional fishing vessels that were kept tethered at the harbour wharf the previous night. Many of these vessels were later found washed up on the breakwater in bits and pieces.
Fishermen, who estimated the loss at over Rs.2 crore, blamed a section of the mechanised sector for the incident. The ropes with which the boats were tethered were found snapped. There was a similar incident at the harbour a few months ago.
Traditional fishermen who arrived at the wharf by 4 a.m. noticed that their vessels were missing. They made a frantic search but could not locate the boats. Other fishermen returning to the harbour noticed parts of the boats along the Neendakara breakwater. Soon tension gripped the harbour complex.
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As more and more fishermen from the traditional sector arrived, it led to a showdown with those from the mechanised sector. The traditional sector fishermen prevented auction at the harbour complex. Crores of rupees worth fish brought in by the mechanised boats could not be sold.
The traditional fishermen then blocked the nearby National Highway for about 90 minutes. Though the police arrived, the situation could not be fully brought under control. Later, Assistant Commissioner of Police K. Lalji held talks with representatives of both sides and this defused the situation a little.
But auction could not be resumed and the whole harbour complex wore a deserted look. An uneasy calm prevailed. The mechanised sector had for long objected to keeping the traditional sector boats tethered at the wharf, arguing that it deprived them of a lot of wharf space. The harbour was primarily constructed for the mechanised sector, they said. But they denied any hand in Wednesday’s developments.
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