Kasimedu Harbour Sees Thin Catch and Soaring Fish Prices After Fishing Ban Ends
Huge crowds gathered at the Kasimedu harbour in Chennai on the first Sunday after the seasonal fishing ban was lifted, only to face a dramatically thin catch that drove local fish prices to punishing highs. Despite the end of the ban, a low number of fishers returned with hauls, threatening the local seafood supply and market.
Popular species such as sankara, aiyla, vanjiram, nethili, paarai, soorai, crab, and squid arrived at the harbour in meagre quantities. This supply shortage triggered a sharp spike in retail prices across the market.
According to local fish vendor Balraman, whichever fish landed at the harbour was priced very high. For instance, large-sized vanjiram, which sold at ₹1,500 per kilogram before the ban, fetched ₹2,400 per kilogram. Meanwhile, the price of small sankara jumped from ₹200 to ₹500.
Deep-sea fishing boat owner B Muthukumaran noted that vessels returning on Saturday night and Sunday morning brought only moderate quantities of export-oriented varieties. These included cuttlefish, octopus, leather jacket, ribbon fish, and large squid, which did little to ease the supply crunch.
The depleted haul is tied to a structural crisis in the local fishing industry. Many experienced boat drivers from Andhra Pradesh and Odisha have returned to their home states. The opening of new fishing harbours in Nellore and Kaavali has allowed these drivers to acquire their own boats.
Furthermore, the Andhra Pradesh government has barred vessels from other states within ten nautical miles of its marine waters. This restriction has effectively cut Chennai fishermen off from traditionally rich fishing grounds. Muthukumaran explained that fishermen from Chennai previously went up to Machlipatnam for fishing, but the ban has significantly cut their catch.
Compounding the crisis, local fishing operators are facing squeezed margins due to escalating diesel and cooking gas prices, marking a challenging period for Tamil Nadu’s fishing sector.
