Nagapattinam fishermen halt operations due to adverse weather warning

Fishing Halted Along Nagapattinam Coast Due to Storm Warning

Fishing in the sea stopped along the Nagapattinam coast on Friday. This followed a strong wind and storm warning from the Fisheries Department. Thousands of fishermen lost their livelihood for the second day in a row.

The advisory warned fishermen not to go into the sea. Strong winds of 45–55 km/h, with gusts up to 65 km/h, were expected over the Gulf of Mannar, the Comorin area, and along the Tamil Nadu coastline. In response to the warning, fishermen from 27 coastal villages stayed ashore. These villages include Nagore Melapattinacheri, Nagore Pattinacheri, Nambiyarnagar, Samandanpettai, Keechankuppam, Akkaraipettai, Kallar, Velankanni, Seruthur, Kameswaram, Arkattuthurai, Kodiayakkadu, and Kodiyakarai.

In Nagapattinam district, about 3,500 fibre boats and around 450 mechanised fishing vessels remained anchored. Some mechanised boats that had gone out earlier had to return because of rough weather. Most fishermen were seen securing their boats and repairing fishing nets along the coast.

Fishermen stated that the high wind speed made sailing dangerous. This forced them to stop their operations. Strong winds had been present for nearly a week, leading many fishermen to reduce their fishing activity. The latest advisory made their situation worse.

“We have not gone to the sea for the past two days following the department’s warning. Without daily fishing, it is difficult to manage household expenses,” said A. Ajith, a fisherman from Seruthur. He asked the government to provide relief assistance during weather-related disruptions, similar to the compensation given during the annual fishing ban.