Daijiworld Media Network - Kundapur (SP)

Kundapur, May 13: The decision of the fisheries department to permit mechanized fishing at the fishing port and requirement to possess passes to enter the port have become the bone of contention at Gangolli port.

Many fisherwomen have complained that passes have been issued to people who are not connected with fishing activity, while those who come to the port regularly are being denied passes. They have urged the officials to allow them to engage in the activity at least during the fag end of this fishing season.

Gangolli assistant director of fisheries Anjana Devi, Chandrashekhar and Diwakar S Kharvi from Kundapur office of the department, Sandeep G S, inspector of the coastal security police station at Gangolli, and Gangolli police sub-inspector Bheemashankar S, undertook necessary steps at the port to maintain law and order.

Suspension of purchases

Vendors dealing with fresh fish at Gangolli have decided to suspend purchases from May 16 onward. They will buy fish as usual till May 15. The merchants said that drivers of fishing boats who visit other state for sale of fish are being quarantined, as a result of which the drivers have been refusing to visit other states. This has forced them to stop purchases, they stated.

A few boats from Bhatkal which arrived here had given rise to a sense of panic because of coronavirus scare sometime back. Two more purse seine boats from Bhatkal arrived at Gangolli on Monday night. They were anchored near the Manganese wharf. The fishermen expressed anger at the violation of district administration's orders restraining boats from other districts from entering Gangolli port. The local fishermen demanded for quarantining of the fishermen in those boats and initiation of legal steps for violating order. They also expressed disappointment at the inaction of the fisheries department officials in this regard. Gangolli police ensured that the situation did not go out of control.

Kundapur tahsildar Tippeswamy, who heard the appeals of the fishermen, agreed that the Bhat boats had erred in arriving at Gangolli in violation of the ban without permission. He said that a complaint would be registered by the officials of the ports department in the local police station and then submit a report to the office of the tahsildar. The tahsildar will then put up a proposal before the deputy commissioner recommending to cancel the permits of the erring boats, it was decided.

Assistant director of fisheries at Gangolli, Anjana Devi, said that in spite of best efforts of her department and the police, it is found impossible to handle the crowd at the port. She said that therefore, passes have been issued to the fishermen and fishing workers from the department. She asserted that those who hold passes alone would be allowed to enter the port to maintain social distance.