Fishers in Nagapattinam demand subsidy hike for deep-sea vessels

They have been selected for the first time under a scheme which had been confined to Thanjavur, Pudukkottai and Ramanathapuram districts till now. 
Nagapattinam fishers have demanded that the scheme be extended to all in the district.
Nagapattinam fishers have demanded that the scheme be extended to all in the district.

NAGAPATTINAM: Fishers in Nagapattinam have demanded subsidy to be increased on par with three
other districts to encourage deep-sea fishing. Thirty-six Nagapattinam fishers, whose trawlers were seized by Sri Lankan navy, have been selected for 70 per cent subsidy with an upper limit of `56 lakh to build deep-sea fishing boats (DSFBs).

They have been selected for the first time under a scheme which had been confined to Thanjavur, Pudukkottai and Ramanathapuram districts till now.

Nagapattinam fishers have demanded that the scheme be extended to all in the district.

“Deep-sea fishing is still a dream for a lot of Nagapattinam fishers. Subsidy for DSFBs should not be restricted to those whose boats are impounded. They should get the amount on par with the other three districts to enable deep-sea fishing,” said RV Kumaravelu of National Fishworkers Forum.

Of the 46 people who had applied for subsidy, 36 were deemed eligible. Thirteen of them are now ready to get DFSBs built. The fishers also want the money to be given to the builders they choose. “The notified builders do not do a proper job and we are forced to spend more. We want the subsidy amount to be
directed to those we choose,” said S Mohandas, a fisher from Akkaraipettai.

R Amal Xavier, Joint Director, Fisheries department, said, “We have forwarded the request of  Nagapattinam fishers to be considered on par with Thanjavur, Pudukkottai and Ramanathapuram. The State government is considering it.” 

Deep-sea fishing boats These boats can travel over 100 nautical miles and designed to catch large fish like
tuna using longline fishing ropes stretching over five to 10 km, fitted with specialised hooks and pulled using winches. 

Subsidy for DSFB 

Subsidy is given in phases to build DSFBs as 70 per cent (50 per cent Central contribution + 20 per cent State contribution) with an upper limit of Rs 56 lakh to all fishers in Thanjavur, Pudukkottai and Ramanathapuram. It is to discourage them from venturing into Sri Lanka waters. Fishers from other districts get subsidy of 50 per cent with an upper limit of Rs 30 lakh.

Nagapattinam district fishers avail the scheme only if their boats are seized by Sri Lankan forces.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com