The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : `Replace catamarans with mechanised boats'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jan 26, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

`Replace catamarans with mechanised boats'

By Our Staff Reporter

NAGERCOIL, JAN. 25 . The Centre for Marine Science and Technology attached to the Manonmaniam Sundaranar University at Rajakkamangalam has urged the Government to help fishermen replace all catamarans with mechanised boats.

The Centre's head of the department, M. Peter Marian said fishermen who used catamarans were the worst affected by the tsunami. More than 15,000 catamarans were washed away by the killer waves on December 26. As per the Coastal Regulation Zone Act, houses should be built 500 metres away from the shore but fishermen were reluctant to move as they wanted to keep their catamarans within eyesight. If they were provided mechanised boats the fishermen could be shifted to safer places.

Mr. Peter Mariam said the Government should contemplate long-term measures for the benefit of the fishermen such as the identification of land in safer places for construction of permanent houses, construction of fishing harbours where needed, and raising casuarinas and mangroves along the coastal areas of the district to minimise nature's fury.

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