Country boat fishermen call off indefinite strike, resume fishing
The Hindu
TIRUNELVELI As the police have registered case against crew and owner of the mechanised boat involve
As the police have registered case against crew and owner of the mechanised boat involved in the high seas hit-and-run accident near Idinthakarai recently and detained the boat, the country boat fishermen called off their indefinite strike on Monday and resumed fishing operations, thanks to the initiative of Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker M. Appavu.
After a Chinna Muttom-based mechanised boat hit a fibreglass country boat from Idinthakarai in the high-seas near the coastal hamlet on March 1 as the larger vessel allegedly entered the prohibited zone of 6 nautical miles from the shoreline to carryout fishing operations, two country boat fishermen – Anton and Vinodh – were injured and are undergoing treatment in the hospital.
Condemning this mishap, which is recurring again with the mechanised boat fishermen showing scant respect for the instruction of banning them from fishing in the prohibited zone where the country boat fishermen alone can carry out fishing operations, the country boat fishermen of 10 coastal hamlets in the district commenced indefinite strike.
As the representatives of the country boat fishermen associations met Mr. Appavu, who is representing Radhapuram Assembly segment where all 10 coastal hamlets are situated, he assured them of due action.
Subsequently, the Koodankulam Marine Police registered a case against mechanised boat’s crew and its owner Alice, who all went underground immediately after the registration of the case.
However, the police confiscated the mechanised boat involved in the high-sea hit-and-run mishap on March 1 at Chinna Muttom Fishing Harbour and took the boat to Thengaipattinam Fishing Harbour to be under the custody of the police until the issue gets resolved amicably or legally.
Meanwhile, the Speaker visited injured Vinodh, who is undergoing treatment in a private hospital near Nagercoil on Sunday and met the doctors to learn about the progress the patient is showing. He assured the injured fishermen of all possible help and strong measures to check the intrusion of mechanised boats into the prohibited zones for fishing that leads to high-seas mishaps and consequent clash between the mechanised and country boat fishermen.