Double whammy for fishermen in Kerala
Fishermen who have called off sea expeditions for three days now following weather warnings fear that it will take at least another week for fishing operations to return to normal after the authorities issued warnings about a Liberian cargo vessel that sank off the coast of Kochi with hazardous cargo and oil spill.
Fisheries were expected to return to near normal catch levels when spells of intermittent rain started over a week ago. A few artisanal vessels had started netting a relatively good catch of oil sardines, but with heavy rain starting four days ago, the sea conditions turned rough forcing the authorities to issue warnings against venturing out, said Antony Kurisinkal, a fisherman.
After fishing operations were suspended, fishing harbours and landing centres are now empty. Major harbours like Thoppumpady, Kalamukku, Munambam, and Chellanam are nearly deserted as there is no business as usual.
Mr. Kurisinkal said that warning against containers from the cargo vessel had brought fresh fear, and fishermen were apprehensive that the oil spill would affect future catch as well as cause serious disruption in normal fishing operations.
Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute Director Grinson George said that there was a threat to marine species, and that oil spill could disrupt fishing activities, particularly affecting artisanal fishers. If the spill spreads, it may harm marine productivity, especially during the monsoon. This could have lasting consequences for fisheries.
Meanwhile, the Kerala Swathanthra Matsya Thozhilali Federation has demanded that the authorities reveal the details of the exact contents of the containers that have spilled out of the Liberian vessel.
Federation State president Jackson Pollayil said that the authorities were duty-bound to reveal the nature of the cargo as it had triggered concern in coastal areas. He accused the authorities of keeping stakeholders in the dark and expressed concern over the future of fishing operations against the backdrop of the accident midsea.
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The Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority is monitoring the possibility of hazardous materials, spilt from the Liberia-flagged container vessel MSC ELSA 3, washing ashore the state's coast. As of now, no hazardous materials have been found on Tamil Nadu's coastline, the officials said. The ship was involved in an accident off the Kerala coast on May 24, during the onset of the southwest monsoon, resulting in the spillage of fuel, plastic particles, and hazardous cargo containers into the sea. Due to the intensifying southwest monsoon, plastic debris, containers, and other materials have been drifting and washing ashore along the coasts of Kerala and the southern coastal regions of Kanyakumari district. The ship's sinking has left a trail of debris along the Kerala coastline. Several containers from the vessel have washed ashore in various locations, including the Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram districts. Efforts are being made to remove them. The vessel, carrying 24 crew members, had reported technical issues and was tilting soon after departing from Vizhinjam port. The Indian Navy and Coast Guard responded promptly to the distress call, deploying ships INS Satpura and INS Sujatha to the scene. Despite adverse weather conditions, including wind speeds of up to 40 knots and debris in the water, the Coast Guard successfully rescued all 24 crew members. The crew member attributed the incident to a technical problem with some systems, rather than a collision. They mentioned that the situation worsened due to adverse weather conditions and the age of the vessel. Earlier, a meeting was held under the leadership of Chief Secretary A Jayathilak with officials and district collectors in the background of the sinking of the Liberian container ship MSC ELSA 3 off the Kochi coast. The ship completely sank 14.6 nautical miles from the Thottapalli spillway. About 100 containers may have fallen into the sea. The ship's fuel oil has also leaked. However, all the crew members of the ship have been rescued.
The Hindu
26-05-2025
- The Hindu
Double whammy for fishermen in Kerala
Fishermen who have called off sea expeditions for three days now following weather warnings fear that it will take at least another week for fishing operations to return to normal after the authorities issued warnings about a Liberian cargo vessel that sank off the coast of Kochi with hazardous cargo and oil spill. Fisheries were expected to return to near normal catch levels when spells of intermittent rain started over a week ago. A few artisanal vessels had started netting a relatively good catch of oil sardines, but with heavy rain starting four days ago, the sea conditions turned rough forcing the authorities to issue warnings against venturing out, said Antony Kurisinkal, a fisherman. After fishing operations were suspended, fishing harbours and landing centres are now empty. Major harbours like Thoppumpady, Kalamukku, Munambam, and Chellanam are nearly deserted as there is no business as usual. Mr. Kurisinkal said that warning against containers from the cargo vessel had brought fresh fear, and fishermen were apprehensive that the oil spill would affect future catch as well as cause serious disruption in normal fishing operations. Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute Director Grinson George said that there was a threat to marine species, and that oil spill could disrupt fishing activities, particularly affecting artisanal fishers. If the spill spreads, it may harm marine productivity, especially during the monsoon. This could have lasting consequences for fisheries. Meanwhile, the Kerala Swathanthra Matsya Thozhilali Federation has demanded that the authorities reveal the details of the exact contents of the containers that have spilled out of the Liberian vessel. Federation State president Jackson Pollayil said that the authorities were duty-bound to reveal the nature of the cargo as it had triggered concern in coastal areas. He accused the authorities of keeping stakeholders in the dark and expressed concern over the future of fishing operations against the backdrop of the accident midsea.
The Hindu
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Capsized cargo containers may drift towards Alappuzha, Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala
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