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The Kerala government, on June 3, issued an interim order granting financial relief to fishermen across four coastal districts impacted by the recent cargo ship accident off the coast of Kochi. As per the order, each affected family will receive Rs 1,000 and 6 kg of rice. The relief package, totaling Rs 10.55 crore, will be disbursed from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF).
However, representatives for fishing communities have pointed out to TNM that the monetary aid is insufficient.
The initiative covers fishing families in the districts of Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, and Ernakulam, where fishing activities have been suspended following the capsizing of the Liberian-flagged container ship MSC Elsa 3 on May 25. The vessel sank approximately 38 nautical miles (about 70 km) off the coast of Kochi in the Arabian Sea.
According to the Department of Fisheries, the relief will benefit 78,498 fishing families and 27,020 families involved in allied activities, totaling 1,05,518 families. The Civil Supplies Department has been instructed to estimate and arrange the distribution of rice accordingly.
“For more than a week, there have been continuous fishing bans due to the capsized container and heavy rains. Coastal communities are already struggling," Antony Kureethara, Fort Kochi Ward Councillor told TNM. “Amid all this, false news about fish safety hit the market hard. Rs 1,000 per family is barely sufficient. The Fisheries Department must step up its efforts,” he added.
In response to the incident, the state issued a high alert and imposed a fishing ban within 20 nautical miles of the affected area, citing environmental risks including potential oil spills. The incident has also led to widespread misinformation, with false claims circulating that fish from the region were poisoned and unfit for consumption.
Coastal residents are now bracing for further hardship as the seasonal trawling ban begins next week. "With the market still slow and the trawling ban starting on June 10, things will only get worse,” Ajith, a fisherman from Shanghumugham, Thiruvananthapuram while speaking with TNM. “Our coasts are littered with plastic debris from the sunken containers. The government should consider employing jobless fishermen for clean-up efforts,” he added.
At a press briefing on May 28, State Fisheries Minister Saji Cherian criticised media outlets for spreading misinformation about fish quality from the affected region. He also officially announced the 52-day trawling ban, which will begin on June 10.