Fishing unions claim that the overall losses incurred by 10 lakh people directly involved in fishing across Maharashtra is pegged at around Rs 1,000 crore
Following Cyclone Ockhi, the fishing community has incurred severe losses as they couldn't venture into the sea, and fishermen also fear that catch in the sea could reduce.
Fishing unions claim that the overall losses incurred by 10 lakh people directly involved in fishing across Maharashtra is pegged at around Rs 1,000 crore. Akhil Maharashtra Machimar Kriti Samiti President Damodar Tandel said that they will soon meet Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and seek a relief package.
"During the cyclone, the fishing community could not venture into the sea and even lost boats and nets. Those who still dared to venture into the sea for an eight- to ten-day fishing trip came back empty handed. For the next one month, the catch will dwindle as the fishes would move to deeper sea," said Tandel, adding that unfortunately the ministry supposed to take care of fishermen in Maharashtra was least bothered about their plight. Tandel added that Mumbaikars will have to brace for a price hike in the days to come.
Bernard D'mello of Pali Macchimar Society from Uttan said that fishermen are not treated on par with farmers. "In Uttan, we are estimating a loss of Rs 60 to 80 lakh as several families involved in the drying of Bombay duck fish lost all the stock as well as the scaffolding on which fishes are dried." Dileep Mathak, from the Vasai Fishermen society, added that the fishing villages in Uttan and Arnala have borne the maximum brunt.
A marine expert working with the government body explained, "The cyclone churns the sea and the shallow area, as well as the substrate, is completely disturbed and become muddy, so fishes who come towards the coast to breed or lay eggs move deeper due to which the catch dwindles," said the expert.
Maharashtra has 23,000 fishing boats out of which 13,000 boats are mechanised, and the annual catch of around 3.5 lakh metric tonnes is worth Rs 4,000 crore of which Rs 2,000 crore is from exports.
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