MADURAI: As the 61-day fishing ban is set to end in 10 days, fishers of Rameswaram have demanded that the State constitute a committee to determine the seafood price. "Fishermen toil all day long for catching fish, especially, but it’s unfortunate they are unable to get a satisfactory price for it," X Nallathambi, president, National Traditional Fishermen Federation, Rameswaram, said on Thursday.
Usually, during the open season, the export-quality shrimp caught at sea is priced at Rs 700 per kg. But in the first days after the ban is lifted, export companies tend to fix the price as low as Rs 300 per kg.
Fishers also suffer a major blow as shrimps caught near Mandapam have earned the trademark "Mandapam Shrimp" over time.
Citing these, Nallathambi requested the government to set up a 'shrimp price-setting committee', comprising representatives of the fishermen association, officials from the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) and exporters for a fair and reasonable price.
N Devadoss, president of Rameswaram Fishermen Cooperative Society, said regarding seafood exports, the fishers bear the cost of diesel and taxes that contribute much more to the exchequer and also contribute to GDP growth and generating foreign exchange. Therefore, the government should fulfil the long-pending demand for a shrimp price-setting committee to protect our livelihoods, he said.