VISAKHAPATNAM: Rising fuel costs is adding to the woes of the fisherfolk who are already in a crisis due to poor catch even in the deep sea. The fisherfolk of Visakhapatnam who have been finding it difficult to earn enough to cover the fuel expenses for their long fishing voyages are struggling to stay alive.The crisis has led to over 60 per cent of the 700 mechanised boats and beach landing craft weighing anchor at the fishing harbour over the past few months. Starting from June 1, 2011 when the government-enforced fishing holiday ended, the fishermen have been returning with poor catch resulting in each of them incurring a loss of `25,000 per voyage, on an average.The fishermen blame indiscriminate and illegal deep sea fishing by foreign vessels, especially those from Taiwan, for fishing during the fishing holiday and leading to poor catch. Further, the release of untreated industrial effluents into the sea has hit the breeding of fish between Machilipatnam and Bhavanapadu, they say.“We went on four voyages with high hopes of returning with good catch, but we could not even meet our fuel expenses of `30,000,” Ch Satyanaryana Murthy, president of Visakha Dolphin Boat Association said. Due to the unprecedented crisis and no help coming from any quarter, most of the mechanised boats are weighing anchor at the harbour.President of AP Mechanised Fishing Boat Operators Association PC Appa Rao said during annual fishing holiday period, each boat owner incurs an expenditure of nearly `2 lakh for overhauling the boat and added that for the last two years the boat operators in Visakhapatnam are incurring a loss of `1.5 to 2 lakh each season and are struggling to continue in the profession. Over 40,000 people from Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam districts depend directly or indirectly on the harbour, he pointed out.With the depleting catch of shrimp, the owners of mechanised boats are diversifying into catching tuna, which is in high demand in Japan. Tuna is available in plenty at a depth of 200 metres between November and February, Satyanarayana Murthy said and added that they would be able to take up tuna fishing if Marine Product Export Development Authority (MPEDA) gives them 50 per cent subsidy on loans for overhauling boats.The boat operators said that the Bangladeshi pirates operating in the Bay of Bengal pose no threat to the fisherfolk from the state.
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