The Hindu : Kerala / Kollam News : Boat owners, employees take out march

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Dec 16, 2004

Kerala

Kerala - Kollam

Boat owners, employees take out march

By Our Staff Reporter

KOLLAM, DEC. 15. Fishing boat owners and employees, who began their indefinite strike from midnight yesterday, staged a demonstration at the Shakthikulangara Fishing Harbour demanding a new pricing system for the catch and total withdrawal of the annual ban on trawling during monsoon.

Following the strike, fishing boats are lying anchored along the banks of the Ashtamudi Lake. The twin fishing harbours at Shakthikulangara and Neendakara here wore a deserted look. The boat owners alleged that the seafood exporters were denying them a fair price on the export-oriented harvest. The annual ban on trawling had ruined the mechanised fishing industry.

This morning, hundreds of boat owners, boat employees and others relying on the operations at the twin harbours for a livelihood took out a march through the highway from Shakthikulangara to Neendakara and returned to organise a demonstration at Shakthikulangara Junction. A protest meeting held there was presided over by the general secretary of the Kollam District Fishing Boat Operators Association, M.S. James.

Inaugurating the meeting, the Chavara MLA, Shibu Baby John, said that enforcing a ban on trawling during the monsoon period has turned controversial on account of reports that the ban has not in any way served the purpose for which it was introduced.

He said that on arguments based on such a conclusion, a section of marine biologists even contend that monsoon time ban on trawling was unscientific. Hence there was a need to reconsider the period for implementing the ban, he opined.

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