The Kasimedu fishing harbour which used to get 100-150 tonnes of fish every day, now barely manages 10 tonnes a day. The lull in fishing that began last year, aggravated due to the massive oil spill off Ennore port, prevails. Despite the high court ordering BW Maple the vessel that caused the oil spill to pay Rs 240 crore, a part of which would be paid to fishermen as compensation, fisherfolk are far from happy over the delay in payment and that the vessels will be allowed to leave the harbour even before they can get their compensation. Before 2017, we used to make nearly Rs 2,000 per day with the catch we got from fishing for over four hours early in the morning. But now, there has been a dip in the catch. We barely manage Rs 500 – Rs 600 per day now, said Kumari, a fisherwoman from Chinnakuppam. The poor catch is supplemented with fish coming into Tamil Nadu from neigbouring coastal states. The high demand has led to an escalation of prices in city markets. The per kilogram wholesale cost of seer fish, king mackarel, shark and prawns is Rs 600, Rs 500, Rs 300 and Rs 300 respectively. The prices at markets will be considerably higher, said G Anbu of Tamil Nadu Fish and Perishables Merchants Association. Fishermen said that due to the dearth of fish, numerous mechanised and fibreglass boats used by fishermen remain anchored to the shores. My boat got coated with oil from the spill. I got it repaired but it is barely used, as the catch is meager, said K Saravanan, a fisherman. Fishermen across hamlets in Chennai, Kancheepuram, and Thiruvallur districts have been affected. Usually, after the mid-April to mid-June period, the catch will be abundant, but it was not the case last year. We need a study conducted on the waters here about the long-term impact of the spill and the fish population, said K Bharathi of South Indian Fishermen Welfare Association. However, officials from the state fisheries department said that there was no official communication in the department about the penalty to be paid by both vessels, before they are allowed to leave the harbour.