Rs8 crore santioned for oil-spill fishermen

Following the assessment report submitted by the expert panels, Maharashtra fisheries department has decided to claim the compensation of Rs8 crore towards the loss suffered by the fishermen due to the oil spill in the Arabian sea in the first week of August.

The compensation will be sought from the companies that own the ships collided.

Experts from Central Institute of Fisheries Education and Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute conducted the survey in the affected coastal areas of Mumbai, Thane and Raigad.

The compensation has to be distributed to the fishermen as per the loss they suffered due to the oil spill following the coalition of MSC Chitra and MV Khalija.

“We have divided the fishermen in four categories according to the loss they suffered,” said and official from the fisheries department.
However, the representatives of fishing communities have termed the compensation to be very meager.

“We have demanded the compensation of Rs10,000 per month for a year to 2000 small fishermen and Rs10,000 to the fish vendors. With Rs8 the fishermen will get nothing out of it. Government should claim the amount in the ratio of the insurance claim the ship owner companies are getting,” said Damodar Tandel, president, Akhil Maharashtra Macchhimar Kriti Samiti.