Fisherman R Mayandi left the shores of Kasimedu in a trawler at the stroke of midnight on June 15, with a mix of excitement and anxiety. “I can afford to be completely happy only once we pull up the net with a bountiful catch,” says the 38-year-old. With the 61-day ban on fishing using mechanised boats along Tamil Nadu’s coast coming to an end, he was among the hundreds of fishermen headed to sea with a spring in their step that day.
Fortunately for Mayandi and his nine colleagues, their trawler returned on June 24 with storage compartments bursting with prawn, sankara (red snapper), vanjaram (seer), oosi kadamba and muttai kadamba (varieties of squid), and several other types of fish. “We usually stay for 15 days, but return sooner if we’re satisfied with our catch,” he explains, even as he runs around doing last-minute preparations for his next trip. “I leave at 4 am today.”
Varieties aplenty
The mood at Kasimedu is upbeat, according to M D Dhayalan, President, Indian Fisherman Association. He also owns King Fish, a net and fishing accessories shop in Kasimedu. “Fishermen have been getting a lot of the smaller fish,” he explains. “But what we call ‘shed sarakku’ or export quality varieties like cuttlefish, lobsters, white pomfret and prawns, haven’t been easy to come by. These are what fetch good prices.”
With tonnes and tonnes arriving at Kasimedu, prices have gone down steeply. Fishermen have also been encountering fishlings in their nets. “This is a bad thing, for it indicates that the ban period has to be reconsidered. For a long time, we’ve been presenting the request to the authorities that it be moved towards November/December when there’s heavy rain,” adds Dhayalan.
Meanwhile in Pulicat, fishermen have brought plenty of soorai (tuna), mathi (sardine), kanangeluthi (mackerel), kavala , and podi keecha . P Ethiraj is mending his seer fish net at home, his senses all piqued up to catch a whiff of the much-awaited vaadai kaathu , a wind that indicates the arrival of rain. “Like everyone else, I too am waiting for the rains,” he sighs. “Good rains not just benefit the soil, but fish too. It will change the air and water currents and lots of fish will come our way,” he explains.
Offerings for the sea goddess
Most fishermen tend to believe in rituals. They offer prayers at the start of every voyage; and the first after the end of the fishing ban is done with a lot of thought and preparation. “Most of them stop their boats facing a temple,” says Dhayalan. They might be several kilometres from the place of worship, but make it a point to perform a pooja on board or sprinkle holy water from their church on the nets.
Mayandi says his trawler stopped by the Sengalamman Temple at Indira Nagar in Kasimedu. “Some believe that the oomathankai (fruit of the datura or thorn apple plant), erukkam plant ( crown flower plant), or the thumatti kai (wild gourd), if rubbed on the net, will bring good catch. Many sprinkle turmeric water on board and repeat the above processes if they return empty-handed after a trip,” says Dhayalan. Fishermen also break a coconut on the bow of the boat before a journey.
Dhayalan explains how they carry a mud pot on board, place betel leaves and incense sticks in it, and light a piece of camphor and release it in the water. “This is their offering to the kadal dhevadhai .” Fishermen never forget to keep the sea goddess happy. For they believe that if she is happy, they will be happy too.
- For a 15-day voyage, fishermen pack plenty of food and even movie CDs. On his recent trip, Mayandi watched Saamy² and Kaala
- Most big boats are equipped with a TV and a compact kitchen
- The men cook a range of dishes on board, including fish curry and sambar
- Vanjaram: ₹1,000 to ₹1,500 (depending on size and cut)
- Sankara: ₹350 to ₹400
- Aiyla: ₹150 to ₹200
- Nethili: ₹100 to ₹250 (depending on size)
- The above are wholesale prices and may vary from shop to shop.
- Source: R Vinod, a fisherman at Besant Nagar who owns two boats.
