NAGAPATTINAM: A peace meeting convened by the district administration on Saturday to resolve the weeks-long stand-off between fishing groups resulted in mechanised boat fishers agreeing to not trawl within a distance of five nautical miles from shore. While other issues remained, motorised boat fishers with this agreed to end their weeks-long stir and resume fishing.
Tensions flared up between two groups after two motorised boat fishermen from Akkaraipettai were killed in a mid-sea clash allegedly with those in a mechanised boat from Keechankuppam on February 25. The motorised boat fishers in the district soon declared an indefinite stoppage of fishing activities demanding an end to all forms of trawling practices.
They also recently led two mass demonstrations in Nagapattinam and Velankanni over their demands. To resolve the conflict, the Fisheries and Fishermen Welfare Department subsequently conducted a series of meetings with either of the fishing groups.
On Saturday, the district administration jointly with the fisheries department conducted meetings at the collectorate. G Krishnamoorthy, a fisher-representative from Vellapallam said, "We request strict implementation of the Tamil Nadu Fisheries Regulation Act to protect the livelihood of motorised boat fishers."
After hours of discussion, the mechanised boat fishers relented and agreed to only refrain from proximal trawling, which is blamed for the recent two deaths at sea. Proximal trawling is trawling within five nautical miles from shore.
"We agree that mechanised boats from all villages will refrain from trawling within five nautical miles of shore," said S Mohandas, a fisher-representative from Nagapattinam. Following the assurance the motorised boat fishers are planning to resume fishing from Monday. The threats from Karaikal mechanised boats, however, remain to fishers in the coastal delta region.
"We will soon conduct a meeting with the Karaikal collector, the Puducherry fisheries department and the Karaikal fishing community," said Nagapattinam Collector Johny Tom Varghese.