With the 62-day annual inland fishing ban coming into effect on July 1, the fisherfolk have once again started demanding compensation for their loss of livelihood. According to the Fisheries Department officials, over 50,000 fisherfolk families in Kurnool distrist would be at a loss. Speaking to The Hindu, CPI(M) leader Guru Sekhar said the fishermen in the coastal areas get a compensation of Rs 4,000 per month for loss of livelihood. However, fishermen in the inlands do not get any compensation in the ban period. There is also a demand to increase the compensation given by the government, he added. District Fisheries Department Joint Director (JD) Shaik Lal Mohammad said of the 50,000 families, more than 30,000 are active fishermen. Anyone with a license or is engaged with a co-operative society is considered an active fisherman, he pointed out. If compensation were to be given, these fishermen would be immediately eligible. Angling in fresh water Most of the fishing in takes place in the two major rivers that flow through the district – Tungabhadra and Krishna. Apart from the rivers, the Fsheries Department also issues licences to fish in the 11 reservoirs on these rivers and their tributaries. Moreover, there are 175 tanks under the control of the department and over 450 tanks under the control of various Gram Panchayats where fishing is done. In the western parts of the district, about 1,200 acres of farm land is being converted into fishing tanks, said Mr. Mohammad. Big catch The fishing industry is currently on an upswing in the district producing 35,000 to 40,000 metric tonnes of fish and prawns. According to the authorities, each tonne of fish yields an average price of Rs 1,00,000 to Rs 1,20,000. The department also plans to boost the current production to one lakh metric tonnes in the next five years. We have created an action plan to this effect, and we expect to see growth soon, the JD said. Hunt for market space Though the government has released Rs 1 crore to set up a new fish market in the city, works have been delayed as land was not available in the city. We require about 400 sq. m of land to set up the fish market and have asked the municipal authorities to allocate the land. However, due to the land mired in disputes, we were not able to start the works, Mr. Mohammad said. He added that once the disputes are settled, the land would be allocated and work would start immediately after that.
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