Udupi: Protestors Decry Assault on Malpe Fishermen Near Ratnagiri
News: Shubhalakshmi
Pics: Hemanath Padubidri
Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)
Udupi, Feb 22: The Deep Sea Boat Fishermen’s Association held a protest here on Wednesday February 22 against the alleged assault on Malpe fishermen off Maharashtra's Ratnagiri coast.
The protestors complained that since about a week, deep sea fishing boats from Malpe are being targetted by purse seine boats operating near Ratnagiri in Maharashtra. They said their boats were being attacked when they were engaged in deep sea fishing about 25 nautical miles off Ratnagiri port.
The attackers made their boats to collide against the boats operated by fishermen from Karnataka, and robbed their stock of fish, equipment, global positioning systems, wireless equipment, and other things, they said.
The protestors demanded interference by Karnataka government on the issue and an immediate solution to this problem. Through a memorandum handed over to the deputy commissioner of the district, they sought immediate action to serve and protect the interests of the local fishermen from the aggression and unlawful acts of the fishermen from Maharashtra.
"As per government order, Malpe fishermen are fishing within the stipulated distance, yet they were assaulted by Ratnagiri purse seine boats Al Naveed, Multanian, S Abbas, Marian Amir and other boats. They attacked Malpe's deep sea trawl boats like Jala Deeksha, Jala Raksha, Sukanya, Rajdeep, Durga Devi and many others, and assaulted the employees, besides taking away equipment like fish-finder, GPS and the wireless apparatus," the memorandum stated.
"A heavy loss has been caused to the boats due to this, and hence we request the authorities to let the fishermen carry out their occupation in peace," it stated.
At the protest, BJP district president Uday Kumar Shetty condemned the incidents assault and said that it was unfair that such an incident should take place even though Malpe fishermen had not done anything illegal. He also called for unified protest against the incident and for strict action against the assaulters. He also assured that he would take up the matter with the chief minister.
Entreprenuer Pramod Madhwaraj said that he would speak to Rajya Sabha MP Oscar Fernandes and said that he would request for a solution to the problem in writing, besided leading a delegation to meet him. He recalled that when a similar incident had taken place earlier, he had intervened in the matter, and would do so this time too.
Representatives of Deep Sea Boat Fishermen’s Association, Timmappa Bhatkal, Satish Amin Padukere, and Ravi Salian, municipal councilor, Panduranga Malpe, and others were present.