Kundapur: Fishermen Struggle to Carry on Trade at Gangolli Port  

Daijiworld Media Network - Kundapur (RD/CN) 

Kundapur, Sep 27: The fishing season this year began on August 16 and the fishermen are fully geared up to undertake deep sea fishing in the Arabian Sea.   

Meanwhile, the fisheries port of Gangolli, near here, which is the lifeline for nearly 35,000 people of the fishermen community, lies in a deplorable condition. The collapse of the jetty on the minor port, the silt and muck accumulated by shipping lines at the approach to the port, the old fishing berth reclaimed by tidal waves, and sea water engulfing the T-shaped breakwater wall located on the west side of the port all contribute to the setbacks to the fisheries business at Gangolli port.   

The state administration has not responded to the key issues such as construction of a breakwater wall and repairs to the new berth and old berth, which have been threatening the livelihood of the fishermen community. Over 500 fishing boats including deep-sea trawlers and fishing boats fitted with outboard engines are operating from Gangolli port that has been recording a steady increase in the quantum of catch over the years.  

The fishing boats loaded with fish stocks arriving at the port find it difficult to moor/anchor. Gangolli minor port has been the lifeline of fishermen in the taluk as there is no mooring facility elsewhere along the shore on Arabian Sea. It’s owing to the ill-maintained port facilities that the fishermen community is reeling under difficulty. It is unfortunate that the fishermen community has to face the brunt of the state’s apathy in the maintenance of the mooring facility at Gangolli port. 

Port in Deplorable State: 

The new berth constructed with funds from both union and state government at a cost of Rs 8.32 crore has collapsed due to mammoth tidal waves.  A portion of the berth gave way as it could not bear the weight of heavily-laden trucks ferrying stock out of Gangolli port. Another portion of the berth on the western side also collapsed recently. The foundation of the berth has been dislodged due to the ferocious sea which raises doubts among the fishermen community that it will take a long time to be restored. 

The state minister for fisheries Krishna J Palemar visited the location when a major portion of the new berth collapsed and instructed the officers to restore the damaged portion at the earliest. However, no work has been undertaken at the location so far which shows scant regard for the minister’s instructions by the officers concerned. The concrete laid on the 150 mt long berth has withered and is in imminent danger of collapse which will add further to the misery of the fishermen community. 

The local fishermen said that they cannot moor their fishing boats during the fishing season at the 405 meter long fisheries berth at Gangolli mini port which has been developed using many crores of rupees. The waterways approaching the berth are filled with silt and muck, and some portion of the berth is in a deplorable state. Several fishing trawlers were damaged at the jetty when they were lashed by high tidal waves in 2009. Silt has accumulated extensively at the port facility which forces fishing boats to moor at the old port located beside the manganese wharf.