Big ships at Ennore cut nets: Fishermen

Fishermen in the northern parts of the city are facing a rampant problem of big vessels destroying their nets. In the last 30 days, fishermen nets worth more than Rs 1 lakh were destroyed by big ships entering Ennore Port.

“Ever since the construction of Ennore Port commenced, we have been claiming that our properties will be destroyed by bigger ships and now the incidents of ships damaging our nets have increased. The damage incurred by fishermen runs into several thousands of rupees which causes a heavy dent on the livelihood of fishermen,” K Bharathi, president, South Indian Fishermen Welfare Association, told DT Next.

Fishermen of more than 20 fishing hamlets in and around Ennore go for fishing near the Ennore Port during the nights. They spread their nets and collect their catch in the early hours, but ships coming in and out of Ennore Port run over their nets causing damage to it. Despite repeated complaints, fishermen claim that no action has been taken.

Selvamani, a boat owner from Kasivisalkshipuram, a fishing hamlet in Tiruvottiyur, is one of the recent victims of the atrocities of the ships as his nets worth Rs 80,000 were damaged by a ship that entered Ennore Port. “If fishermen are present in the boats and see the ships entering the Ennore Port fishermen will leave the way for the ships, but the nets could not be moved as they get caught in the propellers of the ship resulting in damages,” said Selvamani.

Bharathi said that fishermen do not face the trouble from ships entering Chennai Port as the entry and exit of boats are regulated by the Port officials, but the problem exists only in Ennore Port as the port officials do not give any signal to the fishermen and there is no specific timing for the entry and exit of the ships.

When asked about the incidents, a senior official attached to the Fisheries Department, on request of anonymity, replied that a letter has been written to the Ennore Port officials about the damage incurred to the fishing nets and compensation of Rs 80,000 has been demanded from them.