Announce indefinite strike in protest against steep fall in the price of prawn
— Photo: M. Srinath
SHATTERED: Fishermen resting in the shore with their empty boats anchored off the coast at Mallipattinam in Thanjavur district.
THANJAVUR: Fishermen of Thanjavur district on Friday struck work in protest against the fall in the price of prawn .
About 300 boats belonging to Adhirampattinam and Sethubavachathiram did not venture into the sea, said Tajudeen of the Tamil Nadu Fishermen Association.
As there was a steep fall in the price of prawn, from Rs.400 to Rs.600 a kg to Rs.200 to Rs.300 per kg, the fishermen appealed to the Government to interfere and stabilise the price. A meeting of the fishermen from Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Pudukottai and Ramanathapuram was held at Adhirampattinam to chalk out the future course of action.
In Pudukottai, 700 fishermen resorted to an indefinite strikeprotesting the ‘sudden dip’ in the purchase price of prawn by exporters.
Owners of mechanised boats in Jegadapattinam and Kottaipattinam villages termed the fall per kg of prawn from Rs.500 last year to Rs.200 since June this year as a “shock.” They said they incurred a huge loss without adequate returns.
President of the Fishermen’s Welfare Association, Jegadapattinam, G. Ramakrishnan told The Hindu that the purchase price registered a dip in the last couple of months. The fishermen resorted to a strike for about a week since
May 29 in order to draw the State Government’s attention.
Although tripartite talks were held in the presence of the exporters, fishermen’s representatives and officials, there was no hike in the price, he said.
A meeting of the office-bearers of fishermen’s associations was held on Friday. The meeting adopted a resolution urging the State Government to directly purchase the prawn from the fishermen.
The resolution also sought Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi’s immediate intervention in the matter.
Secretary of the Jegadapattinam Fishermen’s Welfare Association S. Uthirapathy, president of the Kottaipattinam Mechanised Boat-owners Association M. Abdul Hameed, its secretary Naina Mohammed and president of the Singaravelar Fishermen’s Welfare Association, Kottaipattinam, K. Selvaraj were among those who participated.
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