NAGAPATTINAM: Tension prevailed at the district collectorate, and traffic along the Nagore-Karaikal highway was hit for around an hour on Wednesday after fisherfolk in hundreds from a hamlet agitated, demanding equal rights for a fish landing centre.
Alleging denial of entry to the auction hall at Pattinacherri fish landing centre in Nagore by the fisherfolk at Keelapattinacherri, residents of Melapattinacherri resorted to protests. The protesters dumped their catch of sardines worth lakhs of rupees, and ice, a few hundred metres away from the landing centre on the highway. The landing centre is an initial spot for fish handling.
A protesting fisherman poured kerosene on himself and tried to set himself ablaze. Police personnel, however, stopped him. The protests during rush hour led to traffic on the highway taking a hit for nearly an hour.
While police intervened and assured of action, Keelapattinacherri residents continued to block the fisherfolk from Melapattinacherri from using the fish landing centre. The hamlet residents also wielded their influence to prevent traders from buying any fish from Melapattinacherri fisherfolk, sources said.
The agitating crowd then took their protests to the collectorate. Several protesters laid siege to the vehicle of Nagapattinam SP G Jawahar who had approached the collectorate to seek the collector’s intervention in the issue. The protesters brought their catch to the collectorate as well and continued to demand rights to the fish landing centre.
The fisheries department held talks with Keelapattinacherri residents and pointed out that the fish landing centre at Pattinacherri is a common facility and that one hamlet cannot take claim over it. The Melapattinacherri fisherfolk were subsequently allowed to sell their catch at the fish landing centre under the supervision of police and revenue officials and personnel.
When contacted, a fisheries department official said, "We learn that the Keelapattinacheri fisherfolk have monopoly over the bidding traders and deny those at Melapattinacheri a chance of auctioning at the fish landing centre. We are holding a peace meeting with both the fisherfolk panchayats this week."