Fishers, seafood industry hit hard by two-day strike

Processing activities come to a standstill at export units

Fishermen and stakeholders in seafood export industry have said they have been hit hard by the two-day general strike organised by trade unions from Monday. As there was no activity in fishing harbours, fishers could not go to work. Fishing boats, including trawlers in the harbours, were stranded while those at sea have not returned. Fish auctions had also been suspended for two days.

Sources in the Chamber of Kerala Seafood Industry said all operations had come to a halt and no stocks could be moved in the past two days resulting in substantial losses. The most important reason for the losses was that workers could not be moved for peeling operations. While most of the workers use public transport, there was an attempt to bring them for peeling and processing works by private vehicles. However, even these vehicles were stopped on Monday, sources added.

Alex Ninan of Seafood Exporters’ Association said the export industry had been hit because there had been little processing activities over the past two days. It is estimated that around 40,000 people work in the seafood processing industry in Ernakulam and neighbouring Alappuzha districts, most of them engaged in shrimp peeling and related activities. Kerala accounts for about ₹5,000 crore of seafood exports from the country, which is worth a total of over ₹45,000 crore.

Most of the 600 boats that operate out of the Thoppumpady harbour, one of the largest in the State, had been stranded at the harbour while those on fishing ventures had not returned, said M. Majeed at the fishing harbour. He said the fishing harbour in Thoppumpady accounted for about ₹ 1 crore of business during the best fishing season and provided raw materials for the fish processing and export industry.

K.S. Ramesh, a fisherman, working from Kalamukku fishing harbour said, they had been going out on fishing ventures on small boats but the catch was being sold privately without coming under auction or public sales. He also said the fishers were having lean days due to the heavy summer season with little or no catch on several ventures.

E.S. Lassy, who also works out of the Kalamukku harbour in Kochi, said fishing had turned into a loss-making venture over the recent months. The two days of strike had seen fishers engaged in repairing and mending nets. He said the high diesel price had made small boat operations unprofitable.

C.A. Jeevan, another fisherman, is of the opinion that the government should step in to compensate for the losses suffered by fishers. He said fishing operations had already turned unprofitable and being stranded due to the strike would only add to their financial burden.