Fisherfolk flounder during fishing ban

CHENNAI: It is that time of year when it’s not business as usual at the Kasimedu fishing harbour. The 45-day ban on trawl fishing that started a few days ago is already manifesting its tell-tale signs. While the trawl boat workers and fishmongering women will continue to come around for a few days, a sense of uneasy calm hangs over the harbour.Trawl boat workers stand around the harbour sorting and mending nets, while others hose the grime off them. These activities are usually done within the first four or five days of the ban period, or strike as the fishermen refer to it.“These tasks will take a few days. After that there will be nothing to do. So we will head home,” says Raja, a trawl boat worker. A native of Andhra Pradesh, he says he will go back to his fishing hamlet near Krishnampatnam and spend time with his children and family.“Most of the fish boat workers who work at the Kasimedu fishing harbour are from Andhra Pradesh. Not many are from Tamil Nadu. We came here because of the port near our village. The refuse, diesel and oil residue have driven the fish away and we cannot earn a livelihood there. We have to sit idle when we go back. The Andhra Pradesh Government does not give money to the families of fishermen during the ban period like the Tamil Nadu Government does,” says Raja.He adds that there will be some domestic work like repairing his house or helping his fellow villagers with similar tasks. He says he has saved up around `45,000, a large part of which he will hand over to his wife while a small part will support him through the ban period.Most trawl boat workers at Kasimedu have similar plans of doing nothing through the ban period. A handful have been assigned the task of guarding the boats during their down time. While the boat owners will pay them up to `200 a day for the task, some of the little boys who make a living running errands will make up to `100 a day. The rest have little to do but sit idle or take up any menial odd jobs they can find. Needless to say, they are looking forward to getting back to work.