Thousands of fishers from Alappuzha district’s coastal segment, between Aruthunkal in the north and Thumpoli in the south, have raised complaints against their not being allowed to use the fishing harbours in Ernakulam district while hundreds of fishers from Tamil Nadu operate freely out of the harbours and fish-landing centres in Ernakulam.
Around 200 fishing boats and ten inboard vessels, which employ around 6,000 fishers, are not able to land at any harbours in the State now as the Arthunkal fishing harbour is incomplete and operations are held up. Boats that operate between Thumboli and Pallithode and its workers, numbering around 6,000, use the harbours in Ernakulam district between the months of May and September. The Vypeen Kalamukku harbour and the Chellanam harbours had been their normal locations of work during these months in the previous years, said Kerala Swatantra Matsya Thozhilali Federation general secretary Jackson Pollayil and Raju Ashrayam, a fiserman from Arthunkal.
They said that with the outbreak of COVID-19 and precautions being taken, these workers from the neighbouring district are not being allowed to work in Kochi harbours while hundreds of their counterparts from neighbouring States operate and work at these harbours.
‘Pleas not accepted’
District secretary of the federation Anthony Kurisinkal said the Fisheries Department officials were not even accepting petitions from fish workers who complained of damage to fishing boats, engines, and fishing gear owing to the lockdown and lack of work in the sector.
There is a situation in which fishers have not been allowed to go out to work for even 60 days over the past six months, he said, also highlighting that there was no permission for the traditional fishers to hold fish sale at the Thoppumpady fishing harbour while hundreds of workers from other States were allowed into these facilities.
The matter had been brought to the notice of Fisheries Minister J. Mercykutty Amma and K.J. Maxi and Hibi Eden, MLAs, said Mr. Kurisinkal.
