Tamil Nadu: ‘Not Katchatheevu islet, get us permission to fish’

TIRUCHY: Retrieving Katchatheevu from Sri Lanka is a common and constant assurance given by all political parties. But according to fishers, it is of little help for them to sustain their livelihood. What is actually required is permission to fish in the common territory.

The retrieval of Katchatheevu island does not help support the fishers’ livelihood, said A Thajudeen, State president of Mechanised Boat Owners Association. “It is raised for political gains. But in reality, the islet does not have much marine wealth as claimed,” he said.

Recalling the repeated attacks and arrests of Tamil fishermen by the Lankan navy and coast guard despite India helping the island nation during times of trouble, most recently the economic crisis, Thajudeen said, “The State government should put pressure on the Union government to hold bilateral talks and permission for fishing in the common territory at least for six months a year on turn basis.”

The government should establish cold storage facilities in all fish landing stations across the State so that the fishers could get a deserving price for their catch, he said. Fishers get good catch in the immediate days after the ban period, but the supply glut drags the price drastically. “The cold storage facilities would help fishers store their catch and wait for a better price. We have been appealing for this for several years but nothing has materialised,” he said.

Fishers, too, should be given incentive on a par with the farmers and the government should fix an appropriate price so that the fishers won’t face much losses, Thajudeen added.