Daijiworld Media Network - Kundapur (SP)

Kundapur, Oct 30: The fishermen who finally began to undertake their traditional activity of fishing, after having to contend with coronavirus lockdown and hostile climate, have been hit hard by the bolt from the blue. Poisonous jellyfish are caught in their nets, which has been causing them huge losses.

Normally September to November happens to be a season of rich fish catches during which period fishes like mackerel, pomfret, sardines, kingfish etc were traditionally found in the nets. However, since the last nearly a week, boats which left the shores from Gangolli, Shirur, Maravanthe, Malpe etc are mostly catching jellyfish, and the efforts of the fishermen are proving to be wasteful. The fishermen who usually got 1,500 to 2,500 kg fish for every trip are not getting only 300 to 500 kg, the fishermen lament.

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In the past, jellyfish were mostly found in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific. Their presence is increasing in the Karnataka coast which is deadly for the fishing activity. In several countries like Japan and eastern European countries, because of excessive jellyfish, other species of fish are becoming extinct and fishing had to be suspended a few years back. The scientists of the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute opine that chances of the jellyfish proving ominous for the fishing here cannot be ruled out.

Purse Seine Boat Fishermen's Cooperative Society Gangolli president, Ramesh Kunder, says that in addition to loss incurred by shortfall of other fish catches, the fishermen are dithering from undertaking fishing trips as accidental contact with the jellyfish gives rise to itching of the skin.