Kasimedu Fishers Catch 100-Kilogram Shark And Stingray As Chennai Fishing Ban Ends

Fishing activities have officially resumed at the Kasimedu fishing harbour in Chennai following the end of the annual 45-day deep-sea fishing ban. Local fishers have returned to the sea, bringing back their first catches of the season and restoring bustling economic activity to the local jetty.

Among those returning to the harbour was Moinuddin, a local fisher who completed a nine-day fishing trip on a medium-sized trawler with his crew. The crew's initial venture proved highly successful, yielding a shark and a leopard stingray that each weighed over 100 kilograms.

According to Moinuddin, pulling in such large catches required the joint efforts of four to five men. He noted that the work is highly dangerous, as large fish can shake the entire boat or tear the nets, and sudden bad weather poses a constant threat to the fishers' lives.

The medium-sized trawlers used by the fishers are equipped to stay at sea for up to 10 days, depending on the availability of oil, ice, and favorable weather conditions. The vessels feature a lower section dedicated entirely to storing fish in blue plastic drums stacked from floor to ceiling. The top deck serves as the crew's multi-purpose living space, containing a two-by-four-foot kitchen area but no sleeping rooms, toilets, or bathrooms for the four to ten men on board.

With the lifting of the ban, the local fish market at Kasimedu has experienced a shift in economics. Moinuddin explained that while the harbour is busy with auctions and unloading trawlers, the abundance of smaller fish has caused market rates to drop by 15% to 20% because it will take time for the fish to grow larger. He also noted that the fish sold at the market can be up to 10 days old, preserved using ice during the long journeys at sea.

The resumption of fishing has brought life back to the harbour, with diesel engines running, cranes swinging, and ice blocks being loaded onto decks as families gather to make their purchases.