NAGAPATTINAM/THOOTHUKUDI: As the 61-day annual fishing ban ended on Sunday, harbours across Tamil Nadu and Puducherry buzzed back to life. Fishermen untied boats, repaired nets, loaded ice and provisions, while anxious eyes remained fixed on the tides, waiting for water levels to rise by sundown before venturing into the sea. Amid the renewed activity, growing concerns over soaring fuel prices, availability of diesel, and uncertain weather conditions cast a shadow over the fishing season ahead.
Standing next to his boat in Karaikal harbour, P Anandraj, a fisherman from Karaikalmedu, said a trawler requires at least 5,000-6,000 litres of diesel for a four-to-five-day trip. “Diesel prices have risen from Rs 92 a litre to nearly Rs 102. The rising fuel price has added roughly Rs 60,000 to the cost of each trip. Ice bars, too, have become costlier, rising from Rs 80 to Rs 100.
Around 300 to 400 bars are needed for every trip,” he said. Mechanised fishing vessel owners in Thoothukudi attributed the rise in fuel prices to the ongoing conflict in West Asia. The tax-free diesel supplied to eligible boat owners has also risen from Rs 71 per litre before the ban to Rs 81.92 per litre. Fishermen said the monthly subsidised diesel allocation of around 1,900 litres is sufficient for barely a day’s operation.
RMP Rajendra Nattar, president of the Indian National Fishermen Union, urged the state government to increase the allocation, pointing out that neighbouring states provide nearly double the quantity.
During the ban period, many boat owners spent between Rs 6 lakh and Rs 10 lakh on engine overhaul, electronic equipment repairs and new fishing nets. “Operating an 80-foot mechanised trawler with a crew of 10 to 15 members costs between Rs 6 lakh and Rs 8 lakh per trip,” said S Selladurai of Akkaraipettai. “For every catch worth Rs 1 lakh, the crew receives around Rs 20,000 to Rs 22,000, which is then shared among all the fishermen onboard. To earn a profit, the value of the catch must exceed the operational cost.”
Adding to the uncertainty is the centre’s recent restriction capping retail diesel sales at 200 litres per customer or vehicle per day. Fishermen said it remains unclear how the rule would affect large trawlers that require at least 5,000 litres for each voyage.
“We had stocked enough diesel before the regulation came into force for our first trip. But we do not know how things will work when we return,” said Anandaraj. Rough sea advisories issued for the Nagapattinam coast till Wednesday have also raised fears of poor catch and financial losses.
Meanwhile, a TNFDC official assured TNIE that there was no fuel shortage and that adequate fuel stocks were available.
