Bad luck haunts mechanized fishing right in the beginning

Team Udayavani, Aug 9, 2019, 8:24 AM IST

Mangaluru: Mechanized fishing which started after the concluding of the 2 months ban on fishing is already facing a negative development in the beginning itself due to inclement weather. Boats ventured out into the water with much expectations in this new cycle of fishing from August 1^st have only returned back disheartened with being unable to do any fishing due to the presence of a cyclone.

According to the forecast by the weather department, the adverse weather conditions that were expected until Aug 9^th are now expected to persist.

Deep sea fishing trawlers left on a fishing expedition on Aug 1 and the boats were supposed to conduct fishing for 8-10 days and then return back. But, due to the sudden appearance of the cyclone on Aug 3^rd, the sea turned violent and the boats were able to conduct fishing for only a mere 3 days after which they were compelled to return back to the fisheries port. Since the sea is rougher at the estuary in Mangaluru, boats were unable to make passage into the bunder and hence, lay anchored at NMPT berth. Those boats which were fishing at quite some distance away from the coast of Mangaluru found it challenging to return back to the coast here and instead made way to the fisheries port at Kannur, Kollum and Karwar.

According to the forecast by the weather department, since the wind speed on the sea is at 40-50kmph and as the sea has turned violent, a warning that the fishermen refrain from venturing out into the sea was announced on Aug 4^th which was later extended to Aug 9^th. In this backdrop, all the fishermen have returned back. In the backdrop of not having being able to pass through the estuary at Mangaluru bunder, they have been given the opportunity to anchor at the New Mangalore Port Trust. Presently, more than 100 boats have anchored – Deputy Director of Fisheries, Mangaluru