Following a two-month break, the Kasimedu fishing harbour sprung back to life on Sunday. However, customers were in for a surprise as fishermen sold their catch from the docks, adjacent to the newly built facility, with some suggesting that they were directed by the police to do so. On June 12, the Madras high court in an interim order asked the state government to maintain status quo, effectively refraining the fisheries department from moving the fishermen into the new facility from the open ground that had been used for several years. “Despite the court order to maintain status quo, the fisheries department sealed the new facility on June 15. Police personnel were directing FRB boat fishermen to move to the docks for selling their catch as early as 3am,” said K Chellakannu, president of Ice Fish Traders Association. Some fishermen, who said that they were forced by police to sell at the dock, suggested that the state government was trying to drive a wedge between various fishermen associations and complicate the situation. Incidentally, mechanised boats threatened to go on strike if the vending was not shifted to the dock area. K Bharathi, president of South Indian Fishermen Welfare Association said the government must ensure that grievances of all parties are resolved before a bid to move the fishermen into the new facility is undertaken. Fishermen using FRB boats, hooks and nets to yield the catch, however, prefer to operate from the open ground. “The government needs to provide enough number of sheds for traders to stock their purchase and other basic facilities before asking us to move,” said a fisherman, requesting anonymity. In 2015, based on recommendations by the technical committee of Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, the Union agriculture ministry increased the fishing ban period from 45 to 61 days along both the eastern and western coasts of the country. With mechanised boats not venturing into the sea until late on Saturday, the catch on sale was not impressive, said customers. This meant that the prices skyrocketed due to the limited availability. “I bought three vanjaram fishes for 1,000 but the fisherman initially quoted 1,500,” said R Kumar, a customer. “By Wednesday or Thursday, there will be more fishes as the boats that went deep sea fishing would return by then,” said Bharathi.