Fishing operations by mechanised boats in Tuticorin were suspended on Monday as fishermen struck work condemning the intervention of auctioneers in the sale of seafood at Tuticorin fishing harbour.
C. Parthiban, president, Tuticorin Mechanised Boat Fishermen Labourers Association, said auctioneers had been involved in fixing price of fishes landed from boats with increasing commission on sale.
While fishermen had been toiling all day out under scorching sun at sea to earn their livelihoods, they could not fix price of fishes and involve themselves in sale directly when traders thronged the fishing harbour here every night.
In the recent past, the commission rate had been increased by two per cent on sale of fishes worth Rs.100. Earlier, the commission rate was one per cent. The auctioneers had been acting like middlemen and affecting the livelihoods of fishermen. Hence, officials should prevent auctioneers from selling seafood to traders, who should be allowed to procure fishes directly from fishermen. S. Xavier Vas, president, Tuticorin Mechanised Boat Owners Association, said it was a customary practice of auctioneers to sell seafood at the harbour here. The auctioneers had agreed to market seafood without commission, he added.
“But the problem is that fishermen wanted to sell seafood to traders of their choice and this situation had stirred a brew of frustration and discontent among auctioneers”, he said.
The fishermen volunteered to resume fishing on Tuesday expecting an amicable solution and their expression of interest was also written on the notice board at the harbour. Still, it was uncertain whether fishing would resume as usual, he said.
