Mangalore: Fishermen Repair Nets in Preparation for Next Fishing Season
News by Prakash Samaga
Pics: Ramesh Pandith
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore
Mangalore, Jul 8: Under a roof belonging to Mogaveera Union located near Sultan Battery, one can see about 15 people stitching up torn fishnets. As the fishing moratorium announced by the district administration till August 10 is in effect, these fishermen cannot venture into the sea for fishing.
It is not that they have nothing better to do. It is essential for them to carefully check each of the 155 feet long and 35 feet wide fish nets and to stitch them to make it usable for the next season.
Apart from stitching the torn nets, some also sew new fish nets. They buy fish nets from a wholesale shop near Bunder. One kilogram of fish net costs Rs 500. “When fishermen put throw their nets into the deep sea, big fish may get stuck in the small fish nets and they will tear the net. So every year, they must repair the nets. Repair of each net may take one day or may go on for 10 days,” said Shivappa Karkera, one of the men who was employed for the job at Rs 150 per day.
Another fisherman, Ashok Putran, speaking to Daijiworld, said that they buy at least 300 kg of net every year. They buy these nets from the money saved during their good catch; the net repair work will go on from 7 am to 1 pm. He also said that sometimes they buy the nets on credit from agents and they repay it once they go fishing.
There will be a team of 30 to 35 members in each boat that ventures out to sea. When asked where the others are and what they are doing for their daily bread now, fisherman of the team Shreedhar said that they engage in fishing until the sea gets very rough but they don’t venture into deep sea and they go for fishing in non-mechanized fishing boats. “Such boats venture across the coast from Kasargod (south) to Malpe (north from Mangalore). Increase in price of diesel has also put the life of the poor fishermen in trouble,” he added.
After the ritual ‘Samudra Pooja’ is done, these adventurous people will again venture into the sea.