The newly floated All India Deep Sea Fishers’ Association, representing around 7,000 fishers mostly from Tuthoor, Vallavila, Chinnathura, Poonthura, Irambiyanthura, Kollamgod South and Neerodi villages, have demanded steps to ensure the safety of deep sea fishers in the wake of a series of accidents that saw fishing boats being hit by merchant navy ships.
M. Majeed, secretary of the association, said that deep-sea fishers, in the gillnet and longline boats, numbering around 600 and operating mostly out of Kochi, were not being accounted for now.
The association wants the authorities to keep a record of the number of fishing boats going out into the deep sea on a regular basis and to provide them help in case of accidents.
Charles George, president of the association, said deep-sea fishers went close to the coast of Oman for fishing. They are a traditionally skilled community but the governments, both the State and Centre, had not provided them enough protection.
However, he said, it was time that the governments took these fishers into account, provided them security and recognised their knowledge of the fishing grounds along the Indian coast.
He said the new association wanted various agencies in the fisheries sector, including the State Fisheries Department, Marine Products Export Development Authority, seafood exporters and other agencies, to come together to help traditional deep-sea fishers, who provide a livelihood to thousands of others.
The deep-sea fishers mostly operate out of the Thoppumpady fisheries harbour and facilities like a dormitory should be established to harbour them when they come back to the shore. The new harbour facilities being developed by the Cochin Port Trust and MPEDA would take care of these needs, he added.
