Deep-sea fishing scheme fails to draw fisherfolk of Rameswaram

Launched a year ago, it has managed to attract only 519 people against a target of 750

August 04, 2018 11:33 pm | Updated 11:33 pm IST - CHENNAI

   Searching for a solution:  The ₹1,600-crore flagship scheme is seen as a panacea to the problems facing Rameswaram fishermen, who often stray into Sri Lankan waters.

Searching for a solution: The ₹1,600-crore flagship scheme is seen as a panacea to the problems facing Rameswaram fishermen, who often stray into Sri Lankan waters.

The deep-sea fishing scheme, billed as the flagship programme of the Union and State governments aimed at preventing bottom trawling by Tamil Nadu fishermen of the Palk Bay, has received tepid response.

Launched by Prime Minster Narendra Modi at a high-profile event in Rameswaram in July last year, the ₹1,600-crore scheme has, since then, only 519 fishermen joined it as against the target of 750 for the inaugural year. Of these, only 375 fishermen, half of the target, have been able to get official clearance for their applications.

The scheme has been billed as a solution to the problem of Tamil Nadu fishermen of the Bay region getting caught frequently by the Sri Lankan authorities for having crossed and engaged in fishing in the territorial limits of the neighbouring country.

Under the scheme, the unit cost of each long liner-cum-gillnetter has been estimated at ₹80 lakh, of which ₹56 lakh would come from the Union and State governments. Of the remaining ₹24 lakh, the beneficiary has to contribute ₹8 lakh with the provision for a loan of ₹24 lakh from financial institutions.

Sign of optimism

The Fisheries Department says the response from the fiserfolk has been “encouraging.” An official, who has been part of the project for over a year, says “more than anything else, you need to do confidence building among the fishermen as many have been doing single-day fishing.

A year ago, opinions were expressed in certain quarters that the project would not take off. If you look at the response in this backdrop, it is quite good,” the official says.

Pointing out that social mobilisation of the fisherfolk fraternity is the prerequisite to the success of the scheme, the official says the department has been taking steps in this regard.

At present, 56 vessels are being constructed. The department expects the 16 vessels, which are being built by Cochi Shipyard Ltd, to be ready by October-end. “Once they are available, we can demonstrate the effect of the scheme, which will trigger interest among more fishermen,” the official says, hoping that 2,000 of them will eventually be covered in the next few years.

P. Jesuraj, secretary of the Ramanathapuram district unit of an association of fishermen owning mechanised boats and whose brother is a beneficiary of the scheme, says although well meaning, the unit cost of each boat under the scheme is high. “Apart from the cost of the vessels, we have to spend ₹20 lakh for nets. Totally, each fisherman will have a loan of ₹44 lakh, which will be too heavy for him to bear,” he says.

His association is pleading for allowing two fishermen to own a single boat with the government absorbing the cost of ₹1 crore per boat and nets.

Through this arrangement, the authorities can save a portion of taxpayers’ money, set apart for the scheme, while sparing the fisherfolk from the burden of loans, Mr. Jesuraj adds.

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