NEENDAKARA: With repeated incidents of boat mishaps shattering the morale of fishermen and boat owners at Neendakara and Sakthikulangara, the twin harbours in Kollam, the fishing community feels that nothing short of an exclusive fishing zone off the Kerala coast would restore their sagging confidence levels.“The government should declare the coastal waters of the state as exclusive fishing zone,” says M S James, president of Kerala Boat Operators’ Association. “The coastal waters from Kannur to Vizhinjam are the most frequented zone for our fishermen. Therefore, between 20-40 nautical miles from the shore should be declared as a safe fishing zone,” he added.James said boat mishaps are on a rise in the state."We fear there is some conspiracy behind the mishaps. The traditional fishermen pose a challenge to largescale fishing vessels. A planned effort to destroy the traditional fishing sector cannot be ruled out,” he claimed.“The recent mishaps have ruined the confidence of fishermen. Women are asking their men not to venture out to the sea,” said Henry, secretary of Auction Workers Association at Neendakara harbour.Neendakara’s fortune rose when the twin harbours were developed with the support of Indo-Norwegian Foundation in 1952. Since then they have been contributing much to the fisheries and export sectors in the state. “Repeated setbacks have begun to affect the harbours. A considerable decline in catch is visible after the Enrica Lexie episode,” James said. “The government should immediately intervene to save the traditional fishing sector,” he said.The Kerala Boat Operators’ Association is planning to launch agitations in this regard. “To begin with, a memorial function and a protest march will be held at the Sakthikulangara harbour on Saturday,” James said.
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