Fishermen ready for court arrest

TNN
Bellevision Media Network

MANGALORE, 10 August 2010: Fishermen have decided to court arrest by berthing their boats inside the New Mangalore Port, if the port authorities refuse permission for temporary halts during inclement weather. This was decided at a review meeting with fishermen at deputy commissioners office on Saturday, which was presided over by Mangalore South MLA N Yogish Bhat. It was decided in the meeting that the fishermen will meet the NMP chairman Tamilvanan on August 11 to discuss this issue.

 

Deputy commissioner Ponnuraj, fishermen leaders, Karnataka Fisheries Development Corporation chairman Ramachandra Baikampady, Coastal Development Authority chairman Nagaraj Shetty will meet the NMP chairman.

 

 

During the meeting, Umesh Karkera, honorary president of the Karnataka Purse- Seiner Fishermens Association, said that during inclement weather, the boats cannot approach the estuary mouth to enter the old port. "In such cases, the fishermen will not have any other option but to approach the port to safeguard their life and the boat. If the NMP authorities don’t allow us to take the boats inside, we will forcibly enter the port with our boats, dock them and court arrest," he asserted.

 

It may be recalled that the association’s annual general meeting held recently also passed a resolution to this effect.

 

Karkera had said there were just 64 Purse-Seiners and an equal number of carrier boats. "We request permission to approach the port only during inclement weather. We will cooperate with the port authorities in every sense by providing name of the crew, registration of the boat etc," he said. "We pose no threat to the port, for which we have sacrificed our lands," he added, warning that their agitation will take a serious form if the port authorities did not concede to their demand.

 

Another association member Naveen Bangera expressed his concern that the dredging done at Bunder, spending Rs 2 crore, was not satisfactory. He said even after dredging, the sand accretion was still visible. Reacting to this, Yogish Bhat admitted that the dredging done was unscientific and assured future dredging will be done scientifically.

 

Nagaraj Shetty noted that funds to the tune of Rs 10 crore were distributed among the states 15 ports for temporary sea walls and dredging. He suggested that local fishermen’s expertise should be used by authorities while taking up such works so that funds don’t go waste.

 

On this occasion, deputy director of fisheries Suresh Kumar brought to the notice of the meeting that Rs 1.30 lakh loan, given to fishermen for purchase of equipment 35 yaers back, had been waived off.