Rainy weather in the Western Division of Fiji has continually affected fishermen whose livelihoods are dependent on fishing.
Improved weather this week has brought many fishermen away from homes and back at sea to make up for income lost over the past months.
Among these fishermen is Lautoka man Samuel Ravinesh, a second generation fisherman.
He said damage incurred by fishermen was high as many were unable to go out during the rough weather.
“Things are slowly returning to normal,” he said.
“We have had to wait for the weather to normalise before heading out because once our boats are anchored at the wharf and the weather deteriorates, it costs a lot to tow the boats back to our homes.”
Regular maintenance and upkeep of vessels have also been a cause for worry for many fishermen.
“Of course, our income right now isn’t enough to regularly maintain our vessels but we do our best,” Mr Ravinesh said.
He said they were hopeful of a positive fishing season in the months to come.
2014, Fiji Times Limited