B A Samvartha/The Hindu

Mangalore, Apr 20: Fisherfolk in Chitrapura recall a time when they used to get their catch of fish within four to five km from the shore. But now they need to go at least about 15 to 20 km inside the sea to get their catch. Not just that, the residents of Chitrapura say there is significant decline in the fish catch over the years. Many of them attribute this to the laying of the oil pipeline in the sea by Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited.

The decline in the catch has affected the lives of the fisherfolk here. Speaking about Subraya, a fisherman, Madhava, a village resident and fisherman, says, “Earlier Subraya used to catch so many fishes that he could sell them and make some money. But with time, the quantity of fish catch declined and the fish catch was enough only for his family’s consumption. Now, he comes back from fishing empty-handed.” No wonder Subraya is frustrated. “When he doesn’t get any fish, his blood will be boiling and he abuses whoever talks to him then,” Madhava says.

But, it is not just Subraya who is facing problems in life due to decline in fish catch. There are several others like him in the village. Umesh Salian, another fisherman, recalls the days when he confidently used to go to catch fish after his wife made preparations to make the curry. But now, he says, “My wife starts cooking only after she ascertains that I have been lucky to get some fish.”

Mr. Umesh Salian says the confidence of earlier days was because of the abundance of fishes near the coast and the decline in his confidence is a reflection of the decline in the number of fishes in the sea.

He recollects the days when fishermen from Kaup and Gangolli in Udupi district would come towards Chitrapura to catch fishes. Now fishermen from Chitrapura move towards Kaup and Gongolli for a good catch.

Mr. Madhav remembers the days when the turtles would come and lay eggs on the beach in Chitrapura.

His eyes had a twinkle as he said the omelettes made from the turtle eggs are tasty. But neither have been the turtles seen nor their eggs for the past six to seven years, he says.

It is not just turtles that have disappeared, prawns are also not to be seen, adds Mr. Madhav. He claims that there was a time when there were so many young prawns that walking on the beach was difficult. But now prawns are nowhere to be seen.

Son of a fisherman, Suresh (name changed) told The Hindu “though I am not into this profession, I am very well aware of it.” To him the statistics of experts about fish population in the sea is not satisfactory.

According to him, the experts focus only on the quantity of the fish catch every year and not on the area from where the fishes are caught.

The phenomenon of fishermen having to go far from the shore to get fish was witnessed only after the effluent pipe of MRPL was laid. The pipe extends to around two km inside the sea, he says.

Mr. Suresh counters the popular argument that decline of the fishes and the furnace oil surfacing because the ships deep inside the sea flush out the oils, by asking “If it is deep inside the sea, why it is that only our coast is facing this problem?”

However, the Deputy General Manager and Public Relations Officer of MRPL, Lekshmi Kumran denied that the cause for the decline of fishes and the “residue deposition” was MRPL. She claimed to have records prepared by a “third-party specialist” who she said has been “monitoring” the marine life “regularly.”