SAFF seeks action against foreign vessel for ramming Kumari fishing boat

MADURAI: South Asian Fishermen Fraternity (SAFF) has sought the intervention of the Director General of Shipping and Marine Mercantile Department, Mumbai, to ensure safety of fishermen and demanded action against the alleged collision by a Hong Kong flagged vessel ‘MV New Frontier’ with an Indian fishing boat in deep sea.

The collision occurred on Monday evening. Nine fishermen, who belong to Tamil Nadu and Kerala, sailed for fishing by the mechanized boat – ‘Ruby (IND/TN/15/MM/6742)’, which is being owned by Anthonidhasan, Thoothur, Kanniyakumari. They set out to deep sea gill net fishing from Thengapattanam harbour on February 8.

On the fateful evening, the foreign vessel MV New Frontier, while sailing from Zhanjiang Port (China) towards Khor-al-Fakkan Port (UAE), negligently rammed on the fishing boat, causing injuries to the fishermen and heavy damage to the boat. The fishermen are in need of the assistance to make their lives safer and the MV New Frontier has to be taken into legal action for the collision made to the Indian fishermen and their boat, Fr Churchill, general secretary, SAFF, said on Tuesday.