THOOTHUKUDI: Despite the November 22 deadline for removing jet pumps from country boats, a majority of chank divers have yet to comply with the fisheries department's order.
According to fisheries department officials, the jet pumps, used to collect dead chanks and conches, pose a threat to marine life, including the sea bed, coral reefs, and benthic organisms crucial for coral ecosystems. Over 250 fishermen hold chank diving licences, which provide livelihoods for more than 3,000 people, an official said.
To protect the sea environment and fishing resources in the Gulf of Mannar, the fisheries department prohibited the use of jet pumps for chank collection in the Gulf of Mannar Marine Biosphere Reserve, as part of an order issued on July 22. The order instructed those holding chank diving licences to remove the jet pumps from all country boats engaged in chank diving in the district by September 30.
Since many divers continued to ignore the directive, the department set a final deadline of November 22, warning to cancel chank diving licences and initiate legal actions under the Tamil Nadu Chank Rules, 1981. However, many chank divers using jet pumps have protested, vowing not to remove the devices from their boats.
The divers use the jet pumps to force water into the seabed, clearing the ground to make chank retrieval easier. This method has been opposed by other fishermen involved in crab, octopus, and fish catching, who argue that it disrupts the fisheries.
Chandana Selvam, a chank diver from Mettupatti, argued that the jet pumps do not damage the seabed or marine species, but are essential for collecting dead chanks. "Without the jet pumps, we would have to paddle through the sandy ground, expending enormous energy underwater," he explained.
The divers also noted that they are not operating within the protected area of the Gulf of Mannar, but outside the Gulf of Mannar islands and its buffer zone, and therefore, believe the ban should not apply to them.
Mohammed Maideen stated that they would continue to protest the order, as the ban threatens their livelihood. "We will demonstrate and raise black flags to show our opposition," he said.