NAGAPATTINAM: Fishers and fish workers have requested the Central government to include them as beneficiaries of the relief package for the lockdown. They expressed disappointment after being left out of the relief package announced the past week.
“Fishing, fish works, boat repairs, inland fishing and aquaculture have been included as banned activities during lockdown period. We need relief to feed our families. The government has exempted some agricultural activities. We request an exemption for fibreglass boat fishing and fish works along with social distancing guidelines,” said RV Kumaravel, a fishworkers forum representative.
Fishers have also sought financial support like loans for carrying out repairs of mechanised and fibreglass boats while they stay away from the sea. They had voluntarily decided not to venture out to sea earlier this month to prevent coronavirus, but the lockdown has extended their torment and they are struggling to feed their families.
A senior Fisheries official in Chennai told TNIE, “The State government has sent three proposals to the Centre. The first is advancing the 61-day annual ban season and fixing it from March 23 to May 23. The second is advancing the dispersal of annual ban season livelihood assistance of `5,000 to about 1.8 lakh fishers and fish labourers in the State. The third is to provide the lockdown relief package of `232 crore for about 4.64 lakh members of the fisherfolk community. We are hoping for a positive response.”