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September, 2006 Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, India |
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Boat owners fish for subsidy.
Strike hits fishing operations in Kerela.
It’s a quiet day at sea. 4,000 fishing boats lay idle on the shores as fishing operations in Kerela have come to a standstill, following the indefinite strike by boat owners.
The owners demand fuel and fishery subsidiary as they have been putting up with rise in diesel price and increase in number of boats for a long time. According to the Kerela Boat Owners Association’s president, Joseph Xavier Kalappurakkal, on an average, each fishing boat needs 1,500 liters of diesel a week, with 40 operational weeks a year the expenditure on diesel alone comes to around Rs. 2 million
However, the boat owners do not feel the pinch alone. The domestic market and shelves of several cold storages is now turning empty due to the strike. The only sector remained untouched is marine processing as the strike comes ahead of the peak season.
The chief minister of Kerela has convened a meeting with the boat owners on 24th December; however, the government has made it clear that the main demands cannot be met.
Date: 19-Dec-2004
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