KOCHI: As the indefinite strike by the mechanised boat owners enters the sixth day on Wednesday, the prices of sardine, mackerel, anchovy and threadfin bream - the favourite fish varieties in Kerala - have gone up. While the scarcity of fish has led to price hike, the arrival of fish from Mangaluru, Thoothukudi and Goa has helped the traders meet the market demand. As Fisheries Minister J Mercykutty Amma has been hospitalised, there is no serious effort to end the strike and the boat owners are adamant on their stand they will not resume fishing unless the government gives an assurance they will not be harassed in the name of juvenile fishing.
Kerala State Fishing Boat Operators’ Association president Joseph Xavier Kalappurackal said the strike will intensify in the coming days if the government refuses to stop penalising the boat owners in the name of juvenile fishing. “The Ice Manufacturers Association has decided to stop producing ice blocks if no measures are taken to end the strike. The sellers and the exporters have also decided to support the strike. This is an issue affecting the livelihood of around 1.5 lakh workers and we expect a more lenient approach from the government,” he said.
Joseph Xavier said the average expense of a 10-day voyage amounts to around `3.5 lakh. “The boats have to get an average catch of `6 lakh to make it viable. The mechanised boat workers risk their lives and fight the elements in the deep sea for 10 to 12 days to sustain their lives. When they return to the shore, the Fisheries Department seizes the catch and slaps a fine of `2.5 lakh on them in the name of juvenile fishing. This is deplorable. We will continue our agitation until the government accepts our demands,” he said.
The boat owners have decided to take out a Secretariat march on Thursday in protest against the adamant attitude of the government.
Meanwhile, Matsya Thozhilali Aikya Vedi president Charles George urged the government not to buckle under pressure from the boat owners. The strike launched by the boat owners is unjustified, insensible and an attempt to endanger the marine ecosystem, he said. “The decision to avoid juvenile fishing was taken jointly by the traditional fishermen and boat owners to conserve and sustain marine resources. The sardine catch has come down to an all-time low of 43,000 tonnes this year due to over fishing. The boat owners have unilaterally violated the code of conduct signed in the presence of the District Collector in 2015,” said Charles George.
He said the governments in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have decided to follow Kerala’s example and ban juvenile fishing in a bid to sustain the livelihood for fishermen. “I have urged the government to convene a meeting of the Fisheries Ministers of all southern states to discuss the steps to streamline the fishing sector. This will serve as a progressive step to enforce responsible fishing. A meeting of the Matsya Thozhilali Aikya Vedi has been convened on Thursday to demand strict implementation of the Kerala Marine Fisheries Regulation Act,” he said.
Ice manufacturers seek govt intervention
Kerala State Ice Manufacturers Association general secretary K Uthaman has urged the state government to intervene and initiate steps to end the boat owners’ strike. “The strike has caused huge loss to the fisheries sector. Fishermen and workers engaged in the allied sectors are in crisis since the strike has affected their livelihood. We will wait for two more days and if the issue is not solved, we will shut down all the ice plants in the state,” he said.