THOOTHUKUDI: It has been more than a month now since the Fisheries department had restricted Vembar mechanised fishing vessels from venturing into the sea, owing to a complaint from a few Tharuvaikulam country boat fishers that their fishnets were damaged by Vembar vessels. At this juncture, the Vembar fishermen are accusing the officials of favouring Tharuvaikulam fishers.
The prohibition has affected a daily business of Rs 1.5 crore at Vembar Fishing Harbour, say Vembar Mechanised Fishermen Welfare Association functionaries. Vembar Fishing Harbour has 56 mechanised fishing trawlers that generate a cumulative business of over Rs 1.5 crore. The vessels provide bread and butter to more than 800 families, a fishermen association member says.
It was on January 13 the officials restricted Vembar fishers from entering the sea. The complaint from Tharuvaikulam fishers was then taken to police and also to a court. Though the fishers were allowed to operate the vessels the next day, the officials prohibited them yet again, citing another similar complaint from Keezhavaipar fishermen.
Vembar fishers said the Assistant Director of Fisheries, who held talks between the parties concerned, had stopped the supply of subsidised diesel to Vembar fishers since January 14.
According to a complaint given by Keezhavaipar fishermen to the Assistant Director of Fisheries, a Vembar mechanised vessel had damaged the fishnets of a few Tharuvaikulam fishers. We demand `11 lakh compensation, the complaint read.
Speaking to TNIE, Association President Antony Raj said the association was ready to pay `1.10 lakh as compensation to Keezhavaippar fishermen, since "the complaint was vague". "However, they demand `3 lakh as compensation without having any evidence. The complaint does not mention the mechanised vessel that allegedly damaged the nets," he said, adding that most of the complaints were fabricated.
The association's former president, who was a part of the talks, said the fishers had gone nine times foe talks to the fisheries department office so far since the ban.
The country boat fishermen from adjacent hamlets often give baseless complaints against our fishers, but we still give them 10 percent of their claim on behalf of the association, Selvaraj said, adding that it was the first time the fisheries department had prohibited an entire fleet from entering the sea.
The association said officials should ban the vessels that damage the fishnets but not the entire fleet. We suspect that the officials are favouring the country boat fishers as both parties are of the same community, the association members alleged.
Meanwhile Vembar fishermen alleged that officials were remaining as spectators on country boat fishermen using banned purse seine nets.
When asked, Assistant Director of Fisheries told TNIE that the mechanised vessels would be allowed for fishing once both parties arrive at a conclusion on compensation. The officials refused to comment on why the entire fleet is being banned.