Earlier, it was the lockdown due to COVID-19, and now it is the ban on fishing in rivers that is affecting the fishermen community on the backwaters of Hemavati reservoir. Around 60 families of Shillekyatas are struggling to fulfil their needs. The community's repeated appeals to the Fisheries Department to allow them to fish have gone in vain.
The department has issued licences to local people to fish in Hemavati backwaters. Shillekyata families, a tribal community, have put up tents on the bank of backwaters in Chowdahalli, Konapura, Shettihalli and other villages in Hassan taluk. Their only source of income is fishing. Unlike other fishermen communities, these people do not have land to till. “If we don’t catch fish, our family members have to remain hungry”, said Subramanya, a member of the community.
During the lockdown, they could not catch fish. Even if some people could do so, they had no opportunities to sell. “We ran out of all our savings during the lockdown. A few families with ration cards got foodgrains from the State government. Now, again the ban has been imposed, making our lives more difficult”, said Subramanya.
The representatives of the community met the officials and placed their demand. However, the officers refused to allow fishing during the ban. “As a policy, fishing is banned in all water bodies in June and July. This is a breeding season for fish. If we allow catching fish during these two months, it would affect the yield in the next season. We cannot allow fishing violating the policy”, R. Vivek, Senior Assistant Director of the department, told The Hindu.
The officers in the department maintain that the fishermen community had difficulty during the lockdown only for a short duration. “They did fishing and earned well as there was a huge demand for fish when the sale of chicken was stopped due to bird flu scare. There could be some people with no earnings”, said the officer. However, the fishermen reject the officers’ statement. “The officers are hiding the reality. The police did not allow movement of the public during the lockdown. How can one expect fishermen to carry fish to the market? Moreover, the market itself was closed down”, pointed out Mari Joseph, an office-bearer of Dalit Human Rights Forum.
The fishermen have asked the State government to allow them to fish, or else provide them food and other essential items till the ban is lifted. The department has not allowed fishlings in the dam this year so far. "The department should have let at least 50 lakh fishlings, considering the area of the dam (9,162 ha). This year they have not let fishlings to the dam. Fishermen are ready to put in their money to let fishlings, the government should allow them to catch fish", Mari Joseph added.
