Plea to repatriate fishermen stranded on Iranian islands

The fisherfolks, led by South Asian Fishermen Fraternity (SAFF), Kanniyakumari, carried photo images of fishermen, who were in distress in Iran following the outbreak of coronavirus in China, raised slogans demanding the Centre and the State government to bring those fishermen back home safe.

Fr Churchill, general secretary of the SAFF, who led the demonstration, said the Iranian nationals employed a total of 762 Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Gujarat to work on contract basis in their fishing boats in Iran.

These Indian fishermen were employed in places, including Kish, Sharakh, Asaloor, Mugam, Lavan, Bushehr and Kangan in Iran. Most of the places were islands in Iran.

 But, much to agony, the fisheries harbours in Iran were closed for fishing activities due to COVID-19.  The fishermen are neither able to come out of such fishing harbours to buy their needs nor to venture into the sea for fishing.

Moreover, shopping centres were also not made operational around the fishing harbour and hence the Indian fishermen had been suffering from scarcityof food.  

They could not even get access to drinking water. Aggravatingly, the Iranian employers were not willing to provide food for the fishermen. With no alternative left, the fishermen were remaining on board in their boats in shore waters because they were not provided with accommodation. They put themselves in an unhealthy atmospherein Iran.

If any of the fishermen contracted coronavirus, the dreadful disease, which is fast spreading, then it would affect health of all because they had been staying together without any protection and care.

Hence, the stranded fishermen in Iran should be repatriated either by air or sea without any further delay, Fr Churchill said.