Visakhapatnam fishermen in troubled waters

VISAKHAPATNAM: The first voyage to sea for fishing after the end of 47-day conservation period has failed to bring cheer among fisherfolk of Visakhapatnam. A majority of mechanised boat operators sustained around Rs 25,000 loss each as good catch eluded them.After the fishing ban of the government ended, the fishermen set sail for sea on June 1. About 300 mechanised boats returned in the past two days with their catch. But they are disappointed by the fish quantity which has come down far below their expectation."We went with high hope.But I could meet only oil expenses worth Rs 30,000 from ten-day voyage", said PC Appa Rao, president of AP Mechanised Boat Operators' Welfare Association.Normally, the first outing to sea after the ban fetches returns worth Rs 2 to Rs 2.5 lakh.But this time they could get only Rs 1.2 to Rs 1.5 lakh which can meet the fuel cost. Each boat owner spends nearly Rs 1.5 lakh for each voyage towards fuel, ice for storage of fish, salaries of staff and boat maintenance.Ch Satyanarayana Murthy, general secretary of Visakha Dolphin Boat Operators' Association said this year they netted only 300 to 350 kg of shrimp including around 250 kgs of prawn and the rest Tuna and other fish.Compared to this, in 2009 they had caught about 500 kg of shrimp and good quality of prawn which have high demand in other countries.For the sudden drop in the catch, the fishermen blame indiscriminate deep sea fishing by foreign vessels particularly from Sri Lanka and Taiwan during the ban period.They also attributed the cause to pollution by untreated effluents released by various industries into sea water which not only poisons the fish but also causes poor breeding. Deficient premonsoon rain is also another factor for the poor catch.In addition to poor catch, the fishermen also face from the government Sources said as of now, the government has to pay Rs 29 crore towards diesel subsidy to them.Though the government is supposed to reimburse Rs 8 crore per year towards the subsidy amount, the allocation in the budget is only Rs 2 crore.Fishermen said the abnormal delay in release of subsidy amount is forcing them to take loan from private money-lenders at hefty interest.Facing problems from all sides and with support not forthcoming from any quarters, the fishermen seem to be heading for heading for uncertain future.At present, 630 mechanised boats and 70 trawlers are operating from Visakhapatnam fishing harbour.During annual conservation period, each boat owner incurs an expenditure of nearly Rs 2 lakhs towards overhauling the boat. About 35,000 people from Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam depend directly or indirectly on the harbour.