KOCHI: Post-flood, fishermen operating Chinese fishing nets, the historical fishing gear, are longing for help from government authorities. The Fisheries Department survey found that the mid-August deluge has damaged as many as 213 Chinese fishing nets, known in local parlance as Cheena Vala, in Ernakulam district.
"We are yet to get any help for restoring the fishing gear since ours is not an organized sector. We approached civic bodies for financial aid, but nothing has happened yet. We can’t repair the nets on our own because we don’t have that kind of money," said P V Joy, a fisherman who operates Chinese nets in front of his house at Varapuzha. Most of these fishermen are already facing a financial crunch as their houses and household goods were severely damaged in the flood.
"Currently, we are looking only on restoring our houses. We don't even have enough money to buy new household goods. Then how can we afford to repair the damaged fishing nets," he said. Derson Antony, the coordinator of Chinese Fishing Net Owners’ Association, said it would take at least Rs 1.5-3 lakhs to repair these historical nets.
"A majority of the fishing nets in the Paravoor-Varapuzha region remains damaged. The fishermen on their own cannot repair the nets. Some of the nets were heavily damaged, and in some cases the entire frame has to be replaced. The Chinese fishing nets are part of the history of Kerala and they have to be conserved well," Dearson said.
License
The fishermen hope that the government will be merciful while providing compensations for damaged Chinese fishing nets as the majority of them operate without a proper license. Mahesh S, Deputy Director, Fisheries Department Ernakulam Zone, said of the 213 Chinese nets damaged, not less than 40 per cent have obtained the license.
"We have sent a report to the government about the damaged Chinese fishing nets and the compensation to be given. Now, it is up to the government to decide whether Chinese nets without a license should be given a compensation or not. It will take around Rs 1.5 lakhs to repair the damaged nets," he said.
No traditional carpenters
Chinese fishing nets are said to have been brought to Kochi by famous Chinese explorer, Zheng He, 500 years ago. And today, there is a dearth of carpenters who possess the necessary skills to repair these nets.
"The weight of the frame and the net have to be in right balance so that the net can take a dip in the water in right depth. Very few carpenters really know how to repair the Chinese nets. So repairing them after the flood will not be an easy task," Derson said.