The sun starts peeping from the horizon. The rays filter through the clouds, painting the sky orange-red.
All around, there is too much sound (some may even call it noise), of the roaring sea and the rumbling engines of fishing boats. Yet, none can match the sound of the auctioneer yelling.Another day has dawned on Arthunkal, a harbour sans facilities in Cherthala. Country boats carrying the day’s haul have arrived at the beach and the catch is being taken to the selling point amid the rush of auctioneers and fisherwomen.
It may all seem good. Yet, a look at the faces of the fishermen would reveal it isn’t. Some are lucky to get a catch. Most are concerned, mainly due to the depleting marine resources and lockdown blues. However, their biggest problem is the delay in completing the Arthunkal harbour.“Work began here 22 years ago. K C Venugopal, the former Alappuzha MP, brought a Rs 100-crore project which got delayed due to ‘red-tape’. Ponnani harbour work was over in four years, but here it is progressing at a snail’s pace,” says Raju Asrayam, the Alappuzha district president of Swatantra Matsya Thozhilali Federation. “We have three powerful ministers in the cabinet. None of them care about us,” he laments.
The fishermen in Alappuzha blame both LDF as well as UDF for their plight. “Civil Supplies Minister P Thilothaman represents Cherthala. However, he doesn’t think about us. There are no fishing harbours on the 80-km stretch from Kayamkulam to Aroor and fishermen here have to travel to Vypeen and Chellanam in Ernakulam to set out to the sea on their boats. The sea is turbulent early in the morning and we cannot set out while fighting the waves. So, we hire a truck to Ernakulam and have to cough up Rs 3,500 per day for transportation alone,” says Jerome Bernard, a fisherman.
At the same time, they are grateful for some steps taken by Fisheries Minister J Mercykutty Amma to regulate the auctioning of fish. “The commission has been limited to five per cent and the price is fixed based on the species and weight of the fish. Regulations on boat building and fixing the minimum legal size of the fish are positive steps. However, there are five fishmeal factories in Kerala that buy juvenile fish. Such ventures should be discouraged,” says Shaji Kurisingal, another fisherman.
Traditional fishermen complain that though trawl boats are allowed to catch fish only beyond 12 nautical miles off the coast, they cast their nets close to the shore at night. Several species of fish have disappeared from the state’s coastline due to over-fishing. Though the government has fixed the mesh size for trawl nets, Matsyafed, itself a government enterprise, provides nets with smaller mesh.
The frequent weather warnings by the IMD, which lead to loss of several work days, are another complaint the fishermen have. “Due to such warnings and Covid curbs, we could not venture into the sea even for 100 days last year,” says Raju. He says the Human Rights Commission had directed that the fishermen be paid Rs 600 for every work day lost. “We have not received any compensation,” says Raju.
On the Arthunkal harbour, the fishermen believe there are political reasons behind the delay. “Finance Minister Thomas Isaac sanctioned another harbour at Chethi, just six km away. The government could have completed the Arthungal harbour instead,” says Jerome. The fishermen feel J Mercykutty Amma is a better Fisheries minister than her predecessors. However, the deep-sea fishing deal (now-cancelled) has not gone down well with them. They also want fuel subsidy. “We are shelling out Rs 82 per litre for kerosene which has hiked operation costs,” says Kunjumon, a fisherman.