Oil spill: Fish prices hit rock bottom
"Due to oil spillage in Ennore, it has reached so far. Only fewer boats ventured into the sea and were able to catch only one tonnes of fish against 10 to 12 tonnes of fish.
Fishing boats arrive at Kasimedu harbour with catch
CHENNAI: As the customers showed very less interest in buying fish on Sunday at Kasimedu market due crude oil spill in Ennore, this has affected the livelihood of fishermen in Kasimedu fishing harbour.
Fishermen and traders rued that customers fear purchasing seafood due to the oil spill.
The prices of fish reduced drastically on Sunday which is unusual on the weekends.
"Due to oil spillage in Ennore, it has reached so far. Only fewer boats ventured into the sea and were able to catch only one tonnes of fish against 10 to 12 tonnes of fish.
The customers are scared to purchase the fish and we are forced to sell at the lowest price.
On Sunday, we sold one kg of fish worth Rs 100 for Rs 30 to Rs 40," lamented T Jayavel, a fisherman at Kasimedu fishing harbour.
At present, the prices of fish have drastically reduced at both wholesale and retail shops in the city.
Seer fish (vanjiram) has reduced to Rs 400 to 450 per kg from Rs 800 to Rs 850
black pomfret Rs 650 per kg, red snapper (Sankara) sold for Rs 200 per kg, Crab for Rs 200 per kg, Trevally (para) Rs 250 per kg, Prawns Rs 250 per kg and anchovy (nethili) Rs 100 to 150 per kg.
Usually, more than 100 boats and trawlers used to venture.
However, recently only around 10 to 20 trawlers went deep fishing and caught a minimal amount of fish at the Kasimedu market.
At least 24 fishermen hamlets from Ennore to Kasimedu including Nethaji Nagar, Thiruvottiyur, Chinnakuppam, Periyakuppam and Royapuram are adversely affected from intense rainfall due to the cyclone Michaung and oil spill in the river.
Fishermen urged the government to provide relief funds for the fishermen from Ennore to Kasimedu as their livelihood has been impacted during the monsoon.
"In addition, the boats, nets were damaged due to cyclone Michaung which has yet to be replaced. After the oil spill in the sea, there are many dead fishes floating in the shore. The number of customers was drastically reduced on the weekends. The sale has been severely impacted and we don't have any profit by selling the fish, ' said R Yuvaraj, a wholesale trader.