KENDRAPARA: Inclement weather, coupled with untimely rain, has forced a large number of fishermen to anchor their boats at fishing harbours in the coastal districts of Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur during the peak season. A large fleet of fishing boats has been anchored at the harbours in Paradip, Kharinashi, Jamboo, Batighar and several other areas in both the districts due to the bad weather conditions.
Fishermen have not been able to venture into the sea due to incessant rains and strong waves since Friday. The Mahanadi river mouth near the port town of Paradip has also remained turbulent, making navigation difficult even for seasoned fishermen. “The bad weather has dashed all our hopes of a good catch casting a cloud over our livelihood,” said 45-year-old Ajaya Mandal, a fisherman of Kharinashi village.
Livelihood of around 30,000 fishermen of Kendrapara and nearby areas has taken a hit due to the seven-month ban on fishing within 20 km off the coast in Gahiramatha Marine Sanctuary to protect the nesting Olive Ridley turtles. Now, bad weather has sealed the fate of many fishermen, said president of Odisha Matsyajibi Forum Narayan Haldar. The fishing ban, which was imposed on November 1, will remain effective till May 31.
“As fishermen, we expect bad weather. But the constant low pressure in the sea has ruined our plans. We are unable to venture into the sea due to the choppy waters,” said Sarat Chandra Behera, a fisherman of Paradip. Additional Director of Fisheries (Marine), Kujang Manas Sahoo said the fishermen have been warned against venturing into the sea during the bad weather period. However, some fishermen are stealthily sneaking into the sea to fish by risking their lives in hope of a good catch because of the abundant monsoon rainfall.
“Recently, we organised awareness camps in coastal villages of both the districts and tried to convince fishermen not to fish during inclement weather. The Fisheries department will take action against fishermen found venturing into the sea by ignoring weather warnings,” Sahoo added.
Navigation woes