Problems faced by Fisherman in Kovalam

This is Suresh studying 3rd year B.F.Sc. Last month, we went to a field trip to Kovalam and had a casual conversation with fishers. Later, we came to know about their problems. The use of Purse seine by motorised and mechanised boats affect the yield of Cattamaram fishers. Hereby, I attach an image of purse seine.

Credits : https://www.msc.org/what-we-are-doing/our-approach/fishing-methods-and-gear-types/purse-seine The action of Purse seine is that it acts like a surrounding net and catch the Pelagic fish ( Fish living in the middle column of water) The continuous use of this depleted almost all the pelagic resources and other organisms were dead due to bycatch ( the accidental catch of other organism than target fish)

So Friends, I hope you would have understood the problem that affects the aquatic ecosystem and this consecutively leads to economical loss. Astonishing to us, we heard that some fishers had already bought the Purse seine and as the state government banned it, they couldn't return it.

There is a severe conflict going on between small and large boat fishers. They both cut each others net in anger.

Other than this, he said that the Petrol bunk has located 10 km away from their area, hence its difficult for them to buy diesel from a long distance.