Srikakulam: Migrant fishermen return home

Srikakulam: The annual ban on fishing by mechanised boats has triggered migrated fishermen. Fishing is strictly ban in Arabian Sea and also in the Bay of Bengal during the ban. With lack of alternative livelihood options, the fisher-folks came to Srikakulam looking for employment as daily wagers. Due to the ban the migrated fishermen have to return their home from here.

Every year, fishermen from 11 sea coast mandals from Srikakulam district are migrating to Gujarat coast for fishing. As many as 20,000 fishermen are migrating to Gujarat. Lack of fishing harbours, jetties and storage points are the main reason for migration. In Gujarat, our fishermen are being paid Rs 40,000 for main driver of the mechanised boats and Rs 22,000 for assistant driver. Boat workers are being paid Rs 13,000 per month.

Fishermen are unable to get even half of the earning here.

Srikakulam fishers are facing difficulties at Gujarat coast and they are baring all the adverse conditions only to take care of their families. Once they are into the sea they have no proper and sufficient food, unable to consume safe drinking water, adverse climate on the surface of sea water is not good for their health and fishermen are normally suffering from eye related diseases, skin problems, kidney ailments, lungs and respiratory disorders.

Fishers are losing their working days and also spending earning for modern medical facilities to cure the diseases. Fishermen are leaving their family here which is affecting their mental health. Due to lack of knowledge on boundary line fishers are often crossing Pakistan border and in November 2018 a total of 24 migrated fishermen from North coastal AP district were detained by Pakistan border security forces for entering into their limits.

"We are migrating every year to Gujarat coast for livelihood where earning is better than here but we are losing our families also health where facilities are not available," said, a migrated fisher Koda Simhachalam of D Matsyalesam village in Etcherla mandal.

Previously, the state government proposed to construct fishing harbour at Budagatlapalem in Etcherla mandal, fishing jetty at Manchineellapeta in Vajrapukotturu mandal but these two projects still remained on papers, said marine fishermen association district vice president, M Gurumurthy.