NAGAPATTINAM: Fisherfolk resorted to a protest on Saturday condemning officials for continued seizure of fish caught using banned purse seine nets. They demanded that the ban affected their livelihood and appealed to the State government to revoke it.
Tension in the fishing hamlets had been simmering for a while a Fisheries department and Marine police cracked the whip on those engaging in illegal fishing practices. On Friday eight truck loads of fish caught using the banned nets were impounded triggering a protest. Fishers in Nambiar Nagar called for a meeting to discuss their next course of action and decided to picket the Fisheries Department office on Saturday.
Police cordoned off the road between Nagore and Nagapattinam and riot control personnel were deployed. Roads leading to the District Collectorate were also fortified with barricades. Meanwhile, the district administration invited the fishers for peace meeting on Saturday morning. Senior officials including SP S Selvanagarathinam, and Tahsildar A Francis Xavier took part. The fishers stood firm in demanding that the ban on purse seine nets be revoked, and the officials refused.
With the meeting failing to evolve a solution, women surrounded the sieged building and some threatened to self immolate. Soon hundreds of men and women tried to take out a procession towards the Fisheries Department Office but were stopped by police. As the situation became volatile, senior police officials including inspector-general of police (IGP) of Central Zone HM Jayaram and Deputy inspector-general of police (DIGP) of Thanjavur Range Rupesh Kumar Meena rushed to Nagapattinam.
A second meeting was convened in the afternoon ub which fisher representatives from Pazhaiyar, Poompuhar, Thirumullaivasal, Kottaimedu, Madavamedu and Manmadhan Nagar also took part.
District Collector Praveen P Nair and Fisheries Joint Director R Amal Xavier convinced mechanized boat owners about the threat they posed to fibreglass country boat fishers if they used purse seine nets. The fishers eventually agreed to wait till Wednesday for a favourable decision.
Amal Xavier said, “We tried our best to make the fishers understand purse sine fishing is destructive, non-sustainable and non-ecofriendly. The district administration would write to the government to take a call on the issue by Wednesday.”
Nets banned all over the country, says minister
Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar said, “The pair trawling and purse seine fishing nets have been banned not only in Tamil Nadu, but also at the national level following court orders. The Madras HC as well ruled against its usage in 2018. How can we allow anything that is illegal? Fishermen should understand this.”
CM urges Centre to repatriate 40 fishers
Chennai: Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Saturday urged External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to make arrangements for the repatriation of around 40 fishermen from Tamil Nadu who are still stranded in Iran.Recalling his earlier letter dated May 19 wherein he had requested for repatriation of stranded fishermen from Iran to Tamil Nadu, the Chief Minister said accordingly, 681 fishermen from Tamil Nadu were repatriated safely via INS Jalashwa on July 1. But around 40 fishermen were left behind due to the inadequacy of space in the ship. “Therefore, I request you to arrange for their repatriation at the earliest to Tamil Nadu in a special flight,” Palaniswami added. ENS
Six Sri Lankan fishermen rescued
Chennai: Six Sri Lankan fishermen were rescued on Saturday by an Indian Coast Guard Ship, Rajkamal. According to the Coast Guard, the fishermen’s boat was in distress, and was noticed 190 nautical miles north-west of Port Blair by a Dornier aircraft, while carrying out aerial surveillance. Upon informing the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Port Blair and Colombo, a rescue mission was immediately launched, said the Coastguard. ENS