CHENNAI: When D Selvaraj, a trawler owner at
Kasimedu
fishing harbour, went fishing a week ago, the quantity of catch could not fetch the sum he spent on fuel and provisions required for the sail.
The hike in
diesel
prices has hit the likes of Selvaraj as they are finding it difficult to spend more on diesel and look for a good catch.
A Ragupathi, a fisherman and trawler owner, said despite the subsidy given by the government, fishermen were making very little now.
Selvaraj said if the quantity of
fish
caught is less, he has to incur losses of up to Rs 10,000 a day. “I have anchored my vessel in the harbour for the past one week. This is the condition of most of the fishermen in Chennai,” he said.
Kasimedu fishing harbour has nearly 1,500 boats which include trawlers, gillnet boats, fibre boats and country boats. While trawlers and gillnet boats go for fishing for almost 30 days, fibre boats stay in the sea for about 10 days. The country boats stay in the water for a few hours from late evening to early morning.
Fishermen said with boats stationed in the harbour, the quantity of fish arriving at Kasimedu will come down and push up fish prices in the city.
“This weekend, the price of fish may skyrocket in the city,” said Selvaraj.
Already, fishermen at Kasimedu had incurred huge losses last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The footfalls at the harbour had come down and during the lockdown fishermen were not allowed to venture out.
“Many of us had hoped that in 2021 fishing activities will revive and we can compensate for the losses made last year. But the fuel price hike has hit us very hard,” S Arumugam said, a fibre boat owner said.
He said when the fuel prices are reduced, more fishermen will be able to venture into the sea and return with a better catch to the shore.
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