The Hindu

• They return to their families and fields
• Some are employed by small boat-owners for fishing in the shores’ vicinity
• Others either work in their own farm lands or find alternative jobs

Mangalore, Jun 14: K. Ravi from Salem in Tamil Nadu, a fishing boat driver, who is called “tandel” locally, was getting ready to leave for his home town, not knowing what he would do in the next two months.

Gopal Balekere of Kundapur has his one-acre land waiting for his return. He plans to grow paddy in the next two months. It will cater to the needs of his family for the entire year.

Fishermen are leaving Mangalore by the hundred as fishing by trawl and purse seine boats has stopped before the scheduled 57-day fishing holiday from June 15 owing to rough sea conditions. There are more than 1,400 trawl boats and over 200 purse seine boats here.

Most fishermen in the coast undergo metamorphosis and will either do completely different things during the holiday or spend time with family and friends.

Although many can take the lay off in their stride by utilising the savings, people such as Deepak of Bengre, suffer owing to lack of planning. Moreover, his wife has walked out of his one-year-old marriage. He would have loved to spend time on the shores fishing because not many people would inquire into his personal life there. Fishing for Deepak is an escape from the worries, which include repaying a loan he had recently taken to build a house. Good news for him, however, is that he and his fellow fishermen might be employed by the owners of small boats, which have outboard motors of less than 10 HP capacity. The ban applies only to deep sea fishing during the holiday and small boats are allowed to fish in the vicinity of the coast.

A team of fishermen from Mogaveera community were seen unloading the removable parts of a boat owned by Madhu. It was being hauled up to the shore.

How will the other fishermen make their living during the holiday?

“We will work in our fields or in others’ fields,” replied a fisherman while shifting a heavy load. Mr. Madhu said: “They will get up to Rs. 150 a day if they work on daily wages.” However, some crestfallen faces of labourers suggested that it was easier said than done.

Lucky are those who work as “goravas” during the holiday. They undertake small jobs such as transferring ice or fish to and from the fish-holds of boats. They also become “watchmen” of boats and get paid.

Mr. Ravi of Salem hopes to buy a house in his home town from his earnings here through fishing, off Mangalore coast. He has managed to stash away about Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 6,000 during his seven years’ stay here. That, according to him, would be his “dream come true”. He sounded sceptic when he said: “God knows, when it happens.”

The “kalasi”, the term used to call hired fishermen at Bunder, is yet to buy a site. But for the compulsory holiday, he would have continued to work here, chasing his dream.

Ravi is one of those thousands of fishermen from Tamil Nadu who work on the coasts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi.