NAGAPATTINAM: Mechanised boat fishers from Pazhayar harbour completed an unprecedented 100 days without fishing as they continue their protest against high-speed engines.
The 200 mechanised boats and 2,000 fishermen from Nagapattinam district’s’ second-biggest harbour have stopped going to sea since locking horns with another group over the use of high-speed engines in the harbour.
The conflict is officially an issue of the State after the matter was taken to Madras High Court where its judgment would set a precedent for all of Tamil Nadu. “We will not relent, no matter how many days it would take. Hopefully, we get a verdict in our favour in November. When justice prevails, we would resume fishing, “ said K Arutchezhiyan, a representative of Pazhaiayar Registered Mechanised Boat Owners Association.
The association whose members use 50-feet-long boats with engines of less than 240 hp are at loggerheads with Sinthanai Sirpi Singaravelar Mechanised Boat Owners Association who use 75-feet-long boats with engines which deliver in excess of 240 hp, for years. Matters came to a head on July 21 when the registered boat owners complained of reckless landing and berthing by their high-speed engine boat-owning counterparts. This, they alleged, damaged some berthed boats in the harbour. The two groups physically clashed on July 20, leading to the final standoff..
Negotiations were held between both sides with the Fisheries and Revenue departments and police serving as mediators, but the stalemate could not be broken.
Officials eventually took the side of the registered boat owners and ordered the other group to remove high-speed engines, which were deemed destructive to fishing. The Sinthanai Sirpi Singaravelar Mechanised Boat Owners Association hit back by alleging some of the registered boats are also using the illegal engines. The embarrassed registered boat owners called for an indefinite ‘stay off’ until all high-speed engines on both sides were removed.
Since then, only five high-speed engines have been removed. The rest of the rebels stayed defiant and did not remove their engines. The issue was taken to Madras High Court after the Fisheries department warned of seizing the boats of owners who had not removed the engines.
Fishers-cum-boat labourers have been forced to migrate to other harbours like Poompuhar, Nagapattinam, Cuddalore and some to Kerala to find jobs. Some of them began working in fibreglass boats in Pazhayar. Harbour workers and fish workers like boat and harbor cleaners, diesel fillers, ice loaders, etc have been rendered jobless and are struggling to make ends meet.
A senior Fisheries department official said, “We never stopped any registered boat from going fishing. They can leave anytime, irrespective of waiting for the court verdict, but the boat owners are firm in their stance.”
TIMELINE
July 20 : Clashes break out between two groups July 21 : First peace meet in Sirkazhi Taluk Office fails August 31 : In second meet, groups agree to remove high-speed engines September 10 : Rebels go back on word September 14 : Fisheries Department issues ultimatum to remove high-speed engines or face seizure of boats.
October 10 : Madras High Court hears orders stay on fisheries department plan to seize boats.