Fishermen want to continue fishing in Cooum estuary
Following incidents of small FRP boats being prevented from fishing in the Cooum river estuary, fishermen of various hamlets, including Maattankuppam and Ayodhyakuppam have urged the Indian Coast Guard and Navy to permit them to take up fishing in the area.
Community leader Kabaddi Maran said that on last Friday, a boat belonging to Maattankuppam was towed by a grey-coloured boat belonging to one of the forces. 'This is the prawn season, and they grow well in estuaries since there is a confluence of salt and fresh waters. It is not fair on the part of the Armed forces to capture our boats,' he said.
Since the annual fishing ban is on along the east coast, traditional fishermen take up fishing activity near the shore in small FRP boats. 'This is not the first time that a boat was towed by the Navy or the Coast Guard. There have been previous incidents too. We are Indians and have every right to fish in the estuary. The fishermen go for fishing in groups and in the daytime. If the Armed forces personnel have doubts, they can ask for ID cards or check with the Fisheries department,' said K. Bharathi, another community leader.
A source in the Fisheries department said that they had written to the ICG Commandant in Chennai and asked them to address the issue. 'We want to ensure the safety and rights of the fishermen.'
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