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Priyanka Jayashankar

Their boats were shattered and the nets shredded to pieces... a fishing community in Chennai struggles to keep its head above waters.

A ferocious tsunami unleashed its wrath, leaving behind damaged motorboats and catamarans, shredded fishing nets and several anxious faces on a quiet fishing hamlet in Chennai. Desperate families fled with their baggage and were later relieved to find most of their homes intact. Though lives have been spared in the Periya Neelankarai Kuppum area (on the East coast of Chennai), the financial loss is severe for the already impoverished fisherfolk.

"The losses run into lakhs of rupees. Families have to go in for loans," says C.S. Ramesh, a fisherman in his 20s. With a motorboat and a fishing net costing about Rs 60,000 and Rs 30,000 respectively, it may take months for these families to repay debts. Moreover, now the fisherfolk would also miss out on the good catches during the peak season of December. "Our nets are damaged and we cannot go fishing for the next one month," explains a dejected C.S. Babu, one of the `elders' in the community.

The night after the tidal wave, bedlam broke loose: gangsters looted cash worth Rs 15,000 from the fishing hamlet. The fishermen recalled that 100 policemen were patrolling the adjacent hamlets but overlooked their area. Even in times of crisis, the fishing clans never put on a united front. Such communities in Chennai and Cuddalore are plagued by regular infighting, which sometimes turns gory.

The fishermen point out that each family needs at least Rs 30,000 to resume fishing activities. Given the uncertain prospects of these small players, casting nets is more like casting lots. The fisherfolk, however, are not judicious enough in their fishing activity, observes an oceanographer from the US who has worked with them. "Rather than depleting one variety, which may lead to an ecological imbalance, they may soon have to diversify their catches," he says.

A catch-22 situation

The fisherfolk have to compete with fish varieties from States like Orissa and Andhra Pradesh that are sold in Chennai'sprominent markets. "We had opposed the entry of other States but it was in vain," says Devdas. So they confine themselves to markets where there are fewer sellers. Distribution costs also eat into their profits, since ice and diesel charges add up to Rs 500 for each fishing team. There are no cleaning facilities for the fish. As the lean season approaches (January-March), they head for a catch-22 situation of low revenue and soaring debts. Some fishermen prefer direct payments from the Government rather than intermediaries like fishery associations.

Education costs have dented the pockets of quite a few fishermen. Only well-off members of the community can afford to send their children to convent schools, while the rest make do with corporation schools. "We don't want our children to end up fishing. But we have no choice other than taking loans or pawning our belongings to educate our children," says Babu. Devdas, a venerable clan leader, proudly talks of his daughter, a third-year student in computer engineering. But he has to apply for a loan to ensure that his daughter finally graduates.

Meanwhile, the community is getting over the initial shock, and families are busy repairing their equipment and trying to resume day-to-day life. "A lot of people, including a businesswoman, distributed food and gave us shelter," says a grateful Ramesh.

Picture by Shaju John

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