Violence broke out when after the fishermen of Veerampattinam demanded that Nalvadu fishermen do not use the purse seine nets, banned in Tamil Nadu but not in Puducherry, close to the shore. The clashes extended to a third hamlet Vambakeerapalayam. Police fired in the sky to control the situation and section 144 has been imposed in all three areas, barring the assembly of five or more persons in public.
Violence broke out on August 28 between fishermen from Nalvadu and Veerampattinam hamlets in Puducherry following disagreements about the use of purse seine fishing nets. The nets have been banned in Tamil Nadu citing grave environmental concerns but are yet to be banned in Puducherry. The fishermen of Veerampattinam are opposed to the use of the nets as they fear severe depletion of marine life, whereas Nalvadu fishermen want to continue using them. There appears to have been repeated altercations between the hamlets earlier.
On August 28, off the Veerampattinam coast, fishermen of both villagers clashed at sea when the Veerampattinam fisherman tried to stop Nalvadu fishermen from using the purse seine nets too close to the shore. Police from Ariyankuppam and Thavalakuppam arrived at the scene and tried to bring the situation under control, by firing into the air.
Why two fishing hamlets in Puducherry clashed over the use of nets, explainer to be published soon.
— Bharathy Singaravel|பாரதி| بارتي (@KuthaliPu) August 31, 2021
Violence broke out on August 28 between fishermen from Nalvadu and Veerampattinam hamlets in #Puducherry following disagreements about the use of purse seine fishing nets. pic.twitter.com/7iOO8dDLPM
The same evening fishermen from Veerampattinam went by boat to Nalvadu and set fire to the contents of two of their boats. When they attempted to come ashore at Thengaithittu fishing harbour, the fishermen from Vambakeerapalayam hamlet tried to stop them, leading to another altercation. Odiyansalai police and the Coast Guard arrived and fired almost 15 times in the air. Cases have been filed against around 600 residents of the three hamlets and section 144 has been imposed across all three hamlets.
The purse seine nets are banned in Tamil Nadu, but not in Puducherry yet. Smale-scale fishermen both in TN and Puducherry have repeatedly cited grave concerns over marine life depletion and loss of daily earnings when trawlers w/ purse seine nets fish too close to the shore. pic.twitter.com/o2yZAU2zpC
— Bharathy Singaravel|பாரதி| بارتي (@KuthaliPu) August 31, 2021
Stand-offs between fishermen using purse seine nets that are fitted to trawlers and small-scale fishermen repeatedly takes place both in Tamil Nadu and Puduchery where the nets are banned but continue to be used in some areas. Similar conflict broke out in Sirkazhi earlier this month leaving three injured. According to India Today, groups of fishermen from Thirumullaivasal, Madavamedu and Poompuhar have been demanding for the ban to be lifted in Tamil Nadu.
Kadalsar Meenvala Paathukappu Kuzhu, a fisherfolks’ organization based in Puducherry had petitioned at the Madras High Court to impose a ban on purse seine nets in the Union Territory too.
The court had ordered a detailed report from the government to be submitted on August 25, The New Indian Express, reports. It is unclear if the report has been submitted in court.
Speaking to TNM, Baskar, who is a fisherman from Veerampattinam and the secretary of Kadalsar Meenvala Paathukappu Kuzhu, said that the nets pose a dire threat to marine life. Referring to the 61-day annual bans for mechanised boats in order to support breeding, he said that the use of purse seine nets deplete the numbers of fish that might have gone up during the ban period in just a month. “Increased use of these nets and high-speed boats also increase the chances of dangerously decreasing the numbers of fish. Fishing is what our livelihoods are dependent on. Even if the net is used just once in a particular area of the sea, no fish will return to that spot for close to a month,” he said. Baskar pointed out that small-scale fishermen, like those using catamarans and operating close to the coast, earn around Rs 250-500 a day. “If these big mechanised boats also fish this near the shore, there will be none left for the small boats. These nets have the potential to completely destroy the livelihood of such small-scale fishermen,” he alleged. He also adds that the size of the mechanised boats range from 90 to 100 feet long and are fitted with engines with high horsepower.
About the August 28 incident, he alleges that the boats using purse seine nets which are not supposed to come within 15 padams of the coast, came as close as 4 to 5 padams. When the small-scale fishermen protested that this was ruining their day's earnings, he claims that it was the Nalvadu fishermen in their mechanised boats who attacked them. The issue worsened after people from Veerampattinam questioned the Nalvadu fishermen about this attack, he says, after which the skirmishes occurred. He also alleges that the Puducherry government was failing to implement the ban fearing losing political support as fishermen with larger, mechanised boats outnumber the small-scale fishermen.
Kalimani from Nalvadu says that the people from his hamlet oppose the ban on the basis that technological advancements keep happening in fishing which in turn increases their earnings and that the ban would pose a threat to their livelihoods. He also told TNM that the situation is calm since the imposition of Section 144 adding that the state government had arranged a peace committee involving Veerampattinam, Vambakeerapalayam and Nalvadu hamlets.
Section 144 will continue to be in place until September 4.