During the 10month fishing season, fishing boats make an
average 18 trips into the high seas, each trip lasting between 10 to 15 days.
This season the boat owners have had to restrict the trips to around eight
eight only. Boats have returned to shores 20 days before the fishing season end
on April 15. Over 600 mechanised boats venture
into sea from Vizag’s harbour every year during the fishing season beginning June
1 and ending on April 15 the following year.
In the wake of poor pre monsoon rain fall, this season only
20 percent of the boats went fishing. Remaining boats remained anchored at the
fishing harbour. On an average each boat started incurring an expenditure of
around Rs 2.5 lakh per trip (Comparedto Rs 1.8 lakh to Rs 2 lakh in earlier
season, which includes fuel costs, ration, salaries and other miscellaneous
expenses.
“With very less catch this season and high operational
costs, boat owners have incurred at least Rs 3o, 000 to Rs 50,000 loss per
voyage. After witnessing the same trend
in a couple of voyages most of the owners preferred anchoring the boats at the
harbour than sending them into sea,” said Dolphin Boat Operators' Welfare
Association, president, Ch Satyanarayana
Murthy.
There are around 10 to 15 species of fish that brings
fortune to the boat owners and fisherfolk.
Over exploitation and coastal water pollution has caused sharp decline
in fish catch. “There are multiple reasons for the fall in the fish catch.
Though this season is not so encouraging when compared to the last, some boats
are still trying to go on a voyage as there is almost 15 days to go for season
end,” said state fisheries department, joint director, Koteswara Rao.
As the conventional fishing turned unviable since the last
two seasons, some of the mechanised boats and trawlers diversified into tuna
fishing by converting their boats into Tuna long liners.
No comments:
Post a Comment