Loss of fishing days a major concern for coastal community
The Hindu
Nearly 5,000 rendered jobless because of bad weather conditions
The continuous loss of fishing days has turned out to be a great threat to the economic welfare of fishers, especially along the coastal segment between Fort Kochi and Alappuzha, which faces the wrath of rough sea conditions, including heavy winds and rain, along the coast.
“There are more than 200 traditional small boats that usually operate out of the Chellanam fishing harbour on a daily basis. But it is now more than a fortnight since they ventured out because of the weather conditions,” said P.A. Charles, formerly a fisherman but now working as an autorickshaw driver to make both ends meet.
He said that a few of the traditional small boats that ventured out for short fishing trips were fined by the authorities and since then no small boats had set out even for brief periods.