CHENNAI: Besides damaging marine ecology and fishermen’s livelihood, the economic loss because of a decline in seafood exports from the region is seen as a major ‘oil’ spillover effect.
Industry experts say that a flat 30 per cent decline is predicted amid fears of bio-accumulation of toxic compounds in fish and other species. Meanwhile, the oil spill has snaked all the way up to Muttukadu, which was confirmed by scientists at the Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture (CIBA) that runs an experimental station there.
According to official statistics available with the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), Chennai port in 2015-16 exported 39,021 tonnes of marine products worth `1,918 crore, which included fish, shrimp, squid, dried and chilled items.
Although there has not been much effect on the exports till now, the city seafood exporters feel there can be a cascading affect on the industry as a whole as the internet is abuzz with reports pointing to possible contamination and asking consumers to be cautious.
“Many reports are fictitious and not backed by any scientific evidence. This has already destroyed the domestic fish trade and queries from our clients will start and there will unwarranted scrutiny, which is not good for the export market,” said S Santhanakrishnan Sitaraman, director, SK Marine Technologies.
He said the whole issue was handled inappropriately. “It’s more than a week since the oil spill has been reported and what clean-up teams have is buckets and mugs to scoop the oil out of the water. Damage to marine ecology would be immense at this rate. Public sector oil companies like ONGC, IOC and research institutes like the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) should have come up with something better to deal with such an environmental hazard. The delay is taking a toll on seafood trade,” he said.
Meanwhile, sources told Express that Fisheries Department had formally written to the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) to carry out a detailed study to assess the impact on ecology and fishermen livelihood.
A senior scientist of the CMFRI confirmed that already basic details were being collected and the assessment would begin soon. “We can scientifically establish the level of damage to the marine ecosystem. There is a standard procedure which we can follow and do all the estimation. We can monitor the short term and long term impact. The whole food chain and food web is threatened. The best thing is to catch the fish from the coast and test for bio-accumulation which will tell us the levels of pollution,” the scientist said and added that young fingerlings stocked in four cages in Pulicat died after the oil spill on January 28.
CMFRI staff, who are gathering information, said many boats from Kasimedu harbour were not venturing into the sea and the number of fishing days was coming down. This would hit the total output. The oil spill reportedly travelled further south about 40 km to pollute the sands of Muttukadu.
CIBA sources said tar balls from the sea were getting deposited along the shore, although not in large quantity. The stretch has lot of hatcheries that draw surface seawater for their work and will be badly hit if the water enters their operational area.
Senthilkumar, secretary, Society of Aquaculture Professionals (SAP), told Express that from Kanathur down south there were about 20 large-scale hatcheries which would be affected if the pollutant contaminated the work.