Fishermen in Andhra Pradesh resume operations as annual ban comes to an end
The ban is imposed to allow marine species to spawn, disrupting the supply chain. The fishing harbour wears a deserted look during the period.
With the ban period coming to a close, the fishermen and stakeholders, including the consumers, look forward to a fruitful season. The fishing community in particular expect economic gains and enhanced livelihood opportunities.
On the first day, nearly 50% of the fishing boats (675 mechanised and 1,303 motorised) resumed operations at the fishing harbour here and at several other places at dawn. Fishermen performed special prayers to Goddess Gangamma Thalli before resuming the operations.
While all the 675 mechanised boats are from the fishing harbour, 695 motor boats are from various coastal areas of the city and 291 from Bhimili beach.
The government had provided financial assistance to the fishermen families during the ban period. But several families expressed dissatisfaction as they did not get the aid so far.
Speaking to The Hindu, Vijaya Krishna, Assistant Director of Fisheries, Visakhapatnam District, said, 'The ban on deep-sea fishing has been lifted. Now, fishermen are allowed to fish in Indian territorial waters with proper safety precautions as per government guidelines. The government has provided financial assistance of ₹24,27,60,000 to a total of 12,138 beneficiaries under the Matsyakara Bharosa scheme, which is applicable to deep-sea fishing fishermen during the ban period.'
On the other hand, Federation of Indian Fishermen Organisations (FIFO) general secretary Arjili Das said, 'The government's financial assistance of ₹20,000, which has been announced in the run-up to the elections the NDA, has not reached 25% of the eligible families. We have brought the issue to the notice of the fisheries officials and the MLAs concerned. The Tamil Nadu government has been very honest in providing assistance to the fishermen during the ban period.'
'Fishermen are expecting a good catch this time due to good rainfall across coastal Andhra Pradesh from the end of May till date,' Mr. Das added.
With no alternative livelihood options, many fishermen spent the ban period repairing their boats, or working as daily wage labourers in local bars and restaurants.
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