Thoothukudi fishing harbor was abuzz with unloading of fishes from boats on Monday night as the routine activity of fishermen resumed after the end of the 45-day annual fishing ban. However, some fishermen were not content with their catch on return to the shore on Monday night. Small variety fishes were netted in large quantities by fishermen engaging mechanised boats. The new season began on Monday morning with huge anticipation among the fishermen, but the outcome was not as expected, Kuzhandaisamy, a fisherman, said here on Tuesday. Fishes weighing one kg and above would normally attract many consumers. But now, most of the netted fishes were less than half a kg, he said. D. Johnson, a fish vendor, said that a large quantity of small fishes arrived in the market, but the prices had not yet come down. The prices were more or less the same as in the ban period. Hence, there were not many buyers in the fish market here. Arputharaj, another fish vendor, said that most of the consumers had demanded big fish varieties such as oola’, vila’ and seela’, but they could not get the desired varieties. Fishes, which were used in poultry feed, landed in large quantities, he said. Sources in Fisheries Department told The Hindu that 182 mechanized boats ventured into sea from Thoothukudi fishing harbour with permit tokens.
2016, The Hindu