Associations urge Kerala, TN govts to make shipping firm pay relief to injured fishermen
KANNIYAKUMARI: Fishermen associations have urged the Kerala and Tamil Nadu government to secure financial assistance from a private shipping firm to nine fishermen who suffered injuries and the families of two others who went missing when their boat sank after colliding with a Panama registered merchant vessel off Kochi on March 7.
According to sources, two crew members from West Bengal went missing while nine fishermen, including 4 from Kanniyakumari, were rescued with injuries after the incident. Kerala coastal police registered a case.
Skipper of the boat A Sahaya Biju (41) who is receiving treatment in a private hospital at Colachel, told TNIE over the phone that he set sail in a mechanized boat with 10 others from Kollam fishing harbour on March 6.
“On Saturday afternoon, after fishing overnight, we anchored the boat mid sea and went to sleep. We were jolted awake by a loud noise and before we realised what hit us, the boat capsized and sank,” he said.
He suffered injuries on head, legs, hands and other parts of the body. The other injured fishers from Kanniyakumari district are Vinoth ( 34), Johnson ( 47) and Benadict 43) and they are admitted in other hospitals.
Captain Johnson C, Secretary of Kumari Mavatta Visaipadagu Meenpidipavar Nala Sangam pointed out that the accident happened during day time under clear weather conditions, and in the open-sea with no traffic. He alleged that it was a clear case of navigational mistake on the part of the merchant vessel.
Johnson said the shipping firm must provide Rs 2 crore for the damaged boat, Rs 1 crore each to the families of the two missing fishers and at least Rs 50L each to the injured fishermen.
P Justin Antony, President,International Fishermen Development Trust (INFIDET), thanked the Kerala government for registering a case, and requested the governments of Kerala and Tamil Nadu to secure suitable compensation to the boat owner and the fishermen.