More Chennai boats being impounded by AP fishermen

By S. Shanker

CHENNAI, JULY 19. There is a spurt in the number of Chennai fishing boats being impounded by Andhra Pradesh fishermen for alleged damage to the fishing gear over the last few days.

On an average 60 fishing boats from the Chennai harbour head for fishing grounds off the Andhra Pradesh coast everyday. There are about 1,100 registered boats.

The Kasimode fishermen paid a `ransom' of Rs.80,000 for the release of 12 boats seized by the fisherfolk of Chakisala and Ponnambadi villages in Ongole district on July 12. On July 17, fishermen of Ramathirtham, detained 14 boats, seeking Rs.15,000 for the release of each boat.

Even as a negotiating team reached the village on Wednesday morning, an additional claim was sought for one more boat by the AP fishermen. The team `remitted' Rs.1.40 lakhs and obtained the release of 14 vessels, promising to redeem the remaining craft the next day.

However, during their return, the team noticed four more fishing boats being towed towards Ramathirtham. Ever since the Chennai boats started fishing in the AP waters, there has been regular settlement of claims for damaged fishing gear of the neighbouring State's fishermen by the Chennai Tiruvallur Kancheepuram Mechanised Boats Fishermen Association.

Even in case, the boat numbers were not known, compensation was paid to the AP fishermen, who came to Chennai to `file' their complaints. There has also been frequent correspondence between the AP Fisheries Department and the association relating to claims. In case of dispute, the office-bearers inspected the damaged gear or boat before negotiating with the affected parties.

Though the association represents such cases to the Fisheries Department, official assistance is rarely sought for the release. Delay would result in loss of equipment and fishing gear on board and as such the catch on board the `seized' vessels is taken away by the `abductors'.

Mr. K. R. Selvakumar, association convener, alleged that the Ramathirtham fishermen had made it a practice to `impound'' Chennai craft. The `ransom' collected was being utilised to construct a temple there. What was more disturbing to the Chennai boatmen was that the detained boats were used to `impound ' other craft.

About three years back, at a meeting chaired by the Directors of Fisheries and representatives of fishermen associations of the two States, the AP fishermen associations agreed to report violations of the Chennai boats to their district-level authorities and desist from detaining them.

The representatives from Chennai in turn agreed to maintain eight km distance off the AP coastline and display the registration numbers prominently on either side.

The Tamil Nadu fishermen were then told that in case of engine trouble or distress they would have to either raise a white flag during daytime or display a specific light after dusk, before heading for the shoreline.

The fishermen associations also agreed to meet once a month to sort out damage claims filed by the AP fishermen with the district authorities.

The officials decided that joint patrolling should be done in the Andhra waters by officials of the two States once Tamil Nadu commissioned its patrol craft.

Over the years, the engine power and the length of the Chennai craft have increased as they had to cruise for at least a week on the high seas. Most craft that set sail from Chennai are 45 footers, driven by powerful engines of over 100 HP.

Of about 1,200 mechanised fishing vessels in the Chennai harbour and nearby districts, about 700 operate off the Andhra Pradesh coastline, going as far as Machilipattinam, in search of catches.

The association members, who met the State Fisheries department officials were told that the department would get in touch with their AP counterparts to work out an amicable solution to the issue. In addition the department proposed to deploy its high- power patrol boats to patrol the AP waters, where such incidents occurred.

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