Fish prices hit a new low here on Sunday when, after a long time, Rameswaram fishermen, braving all odds, returned to the shores with a huge catch of a variety of fishes including the much-sought after prawn varieties.
Thrown between the frequent harassment and attacks on the high-seas by the Sri Lankan Navy and the severe cash crunch on land after Centre’s demonetisation, the Rameswaram fishermen had stopped going to the sea for few weeks and resumed fishing from December 10.
But with renewed acts of “chasing away” of Indian fishermen from the Palk Straits and Gulf of Mannar areas, allegedly by the Sri Lankan Navy, and “destruction’ of their nets and damage to boats, the fishermen were hurrying back to the shore with low catches.
That drought was broken today as each of the 546 mechanised boats, which put out to sea for fishing on Saturday, came back to the shore with sumptuous catches with yields ranging from 50 kg to 80 kg of prawns alone, said Kalaikoodam Sagayam, secretary of the Fishermen’s Association here.
However, with the persisting cash crunch in the market, fishermen were dismayed that the price of different varieties suffered a deep fall today. A kilo of tasty prawns, which would normally fetch up to Rs. 600, was now going for a maximum of Rs. 450 per kilo, he said.
The price of other varieties of fishes including ‘Pechaalai’, ‘Kaaral’, and ‘Soodai’ also slid sharply, he said. This has added to fishermen’s worries, he said, adding, fishermen have urged the Central government to enhance their individual withdrawal cash limits from banks. Or else, the entire fish trade in Rameswaram, a major fishing centre in Tamil Nadu, would be in peril, he added.
Meanwhile, fishing nets of at least ten mechanised boats of Tamil Nadu fishermen were allegedly snapped by Sri Lankan (SL) navy personnel who also chased away nearly 3,000 fishers off Katchatheevu islet.
The Lankan naval personnel cut the nets and chased away the fishermen on charges of entering their territorial waters yesterday, Rameswaram Fishermen’s Association president P Sesuraja said.
The navy men intercepted the fishermen, who had ventured into the sea from this island town in more than 600 boats. They also threatened to shoot them, he added.
The fishermen returned to the shore this morning, he said. Sesuraja urged the Centre to act on Sri Lankan navy’s “atrocities” against Tamil Nadu fishermen. On December 15, more than 2,500 fishermen from here were forced to return without their catch after Sri Lankan navy personnel allegedly snapped the fishing nets of 50 mechanised boats off Katchatheevu.
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