Despite mid-sea arrests, TN fishermen order 40 new boats

Chennai

The boats cost up to Rs.40 lakh. When more than two months pass after the boats are seized, boat owners know their boats, even if returned, may not be seaworthy and so place orders for new boats as they are cheaper when compared to the cost of repairing damaged boats.

Mechanised fishing vessels easily haul in 10 tonnes of sardines a trip. With a kilo being sold for Rs.20, they earn Rs.20,000 per tonne and Rs.2 lakh for 10 tonnes. But when they catch exotic fish varieties like Seela and Parai they earn up to Rs.300 to Rs.400 per kilo. “There have been instances when three trips a week have earned some fishermen up to Rs.12 lakh,” say insiders.   

Talking to DT Next on the condition of anonymity, some fishermen’s association members said that mechanised vessel owners were rich and becoming richer. “They are not bothered if their boats were seized as their profits easily ensure that they purchase another.”

Though mechanised vessels were earlier opposed by country boat owners and traditional fishermen, they were silenced with the argument that these people too would in the course of time buy mechanised boats when their help would be needed in case of trouble.

Improved fish landings have also resulted in an upsurge in the local economy. While some years ago, smaller vehicles arrived to ferry fish to far away markets, today nearly 100 lorries some capable of carrying 15 tonnes turn up daily. Boats have to land by 11 a.m. after which rates start declining. The fish that is not sold is converted into salt fish and is allowed to dry on Rameswaram beach much to the chagrin of locals.

As the fish landing jetty is hardly a kilometre from the Agni Teertham, blood and offal from rotten fish sometimes wash up at the latter site. A CITU based fishermen’s association member said that 6 years ago, this created a health issue in the town when flies after feasting on rotting fish affected the health of many locals and resulted in tourist falling sick.