Fisheries minister J Mercykutty Amma’s remark that fishermen are being forced to go into sea by boat owners even in adverse conditions has caused widespread protest among fishermen community. They said that such a system does not exist anywhere in the district’s coastal areas. The residents at Vizhinjam expressed their displeasure over the minister’s remark and said that she did not visit Vizhinjam even once during the four days when the fishermen had gone missing. According to secretary of Coastal Students Cultural Forum (CSCF) Vipin Das Thottathil, no fisherman ever had to work as a slave of an owner and the remark by the minister is completely false. Either the minister has been misinformed by local CPM workers or she failed to analyze the situation here. CPM cyber forums have been active in making the return of four fishermen as a heroic feat achieved by the state government but as someone who was here in the past four days, I can confirm that no CPM members were seen around in those days and only showed up when the missing fishermen returned, he said. Vizhinjam resident Tiju Vincent said that the minister’s statement defies logic. The boat owner in question here has around four boats and each of these boats and equipment cost approximately between Rs 5 and 7 lakh. Why would an owner of such a boat risk all the lives and his own investment for a mere working day? Most of the boat owners also take loans to invest in boats and to say that they are willing to risk these boats is illogical. We approached Coast Guard for help and they said that there were protocol restrictions but where were these protocols when the floods hit and fishermen were dispatched to various areas. At the end of the day, it was clear that, we only have ourselves to cover each other’s backs, Tiju said. However, Richens Morais, a fisherman from Vizhinjam said that the minister was true to a certain extent. One of the main reasons for fishermen venturing into the sea during adverse weather conditions is to gain maximum profit. When the fishing party comprises lower numbers owing to such conditions, more profit can be acquired from the trip and this pushes people to go out. Boat owners or their family men don’t go out for such adventures as they get their share in the form of rent for the boat from the men who take such a risk. The absence of other fishing boats in such weather conditions also increases the risk when mechanical failures happen like what happened here as there were no friends to reach out for help, he said. The residents also point out that frequent weather warnings deprive their sole means of livelihood and although it involves huge risk they have to take do it.