VISAKHAPATNAM: Even as the government has released orders for the annual 60-day ban on fishing by motorised and mechanised boats in the Bay of Bengal, beginning April 14 midnight, the fishermen recounts their bitter experience last year in payment of compensation.
The authorities released GO-97 on Tuesday, directing all district level officials to make necessary arrangements for strict implementation of the ban along the AP coastline, which is imposed every year to ensure a safe breeding season for marine fish.
The GO has banned entry of motorised or mechanised fishing boats or vessels into the sea waters between April 15 to June 14.
"We have received the GO today, but the detailed guidelines are awaited. After receiving the rules, we will form teams to enumerate the mechanised and motorised boats," said V Venkateswara Rao, Visakhapatnam fisheries joint director.
Meanwhile, fishermen said that a compensation amount of `6.79 crore were released in two phases last year for 16,988 enumerated fishermen who had registered names with the district fisheries department.
"However, 60 motorised boats belonging to fishermen from Visakhapatnam district which were anchored along the Antarvedi coast in East Godavari district were not taken into consideration during enumeration and the move resulted in big financial loss to those fishermen," alleged a group of fishermen in Vizag.
Every year, fishermen face problems in getting the compensation amounts. Repeated complaints with the authorities has yielded a little. Nearly 900 fishermen are yet to receive the compensation, said B Ranga Rao, a representative of fishermen association in Vizag.
"Fishermen are not allowed to venture out in the sea. On top of it, they are not getting compensation. They are not skilled to eke out their living from other professions. How will they survive?," asked B Ranga Rao.