Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)
Mangaluru, Apr 29: The fishing season this time appears to be moving towards premature closure because of the re-introduction of Covid restrictions. lending diesel subsidy, fish famine etc.
As lockdown has been made effective from April 27, arrangements are being made to send back workers from other states working in the fishing boats here.
As the conditions are adverse, and the fishing industry is in the doldrums, the boat owners find it a loss-making proposition to retain workers from other states. When announcing a 14-day lockdown on Monday, the chief minister has dropped enough hints about the likelihood of its extension. By May-end, this fishing season comes to a close after which the annual fishing holiday begins.
Representational image
Most of those who work in the deep sea fishing boats here are from Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Kerala. As long as they are here, the boat owners have to bear their expenses, salary etc. Therefore, the boat owners have decided to send them back.
In the meanwhile, a meeting of fishermen associations has been called to discuss the problems faced by the fishermen on Tuesday, April 27.
Out of the deep sea boats here, only 50 per cent have gone into the sea. Out of them, 40 per cent returned to the seashore before the lockdown was announced. The other boats are in the sea and all these boats cannot return before the lockdown begins.
As per the lockdown rules, the fish sale has to be conducted between 6 am and 10 am but by the time fishes received in boats are disposed of, it is normally 10 am. How the fish are to be sold thereafter, is a big problem. Fishermen leader, Diwakar Ullal, sounds pessimistic when he says that unless the fishes are supplied in time, huge losses stare the boat owners in the eye.
In the meantime, fish prices have not gone down in the city. Instead, they are going up. Mackerels were traded at Rs 175 per kg on Sunday. The price swelled to Rs 200 on Tuesday. Diwakar said that even though hotel businesses are restricted, there is good demand for fish locally.