Kanyakumari: The fate of nearly 78 fishermen hailing from Tamil Nadu and Kerala remains unknown as the deep sea fishing boats yet to make a landing post cyclone Kyarr.
The fishermen community in Coastal Kanyakumari district, from where these deep sea fishing boats belong, urged state and central government to take measures to ensure the safety of these fishermen.
Hundreds of fishing boats from Western coast of Kanyakumari take out deep sea fishing, sailing as far as 1000 nautical miles in fishing expeditions lasting from 30 to 45 days.
These fishing boats operate from fishing harbours of Thengapattinam, Muttom, Colachel in Tamil Nadu as well as Munambam and Kochi fishing harbours in Kerala.
After cyclone Kyarr set in, the fishermen have asked to return to the nearby fishing harbours for safety. Upon receiving the cyclone alert, most of the deep sea fishing boats have taken shelter in nearby harbours starting from Goa to Gujarat.
However, six deep-sea fishing boats hailing from Midalam and Vallavilai in Kanyakumari district yet to land in any of the fishing harbours across the coast and the fate of 78 fishermen aboard these boats remain unknown, the fishermen community from the region expressed their concern.
They appealed to the state and Centre to trace these fishermen and bring them to safety. Fisheries officials at Kanyakumari district, meanwhile, said that these boats are apparently off Maharashtra coast and efforts are underway to bring these boats ashore with help of Navy and Coast guard.
Tamil Nadu Fisheries Minister, D Jayakumar, in his recent statement, has mentioned that seven boats from Kanyakumari and five boats from Tuticorin districts are yet to return back to the shore. They are coordinating with Indian Coast Guard and fisheries departments of neighbouring states to repatriate these missing boats.
Through coordinated efforts, 763 boats out of 770 boats fishing in the Arabian sea have returned back to the shore after cyclone Kyarr has set in while 520 boats out of 525 fishing in South West Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean and Lakshadweep seas have returned to shore after a new depression has set in the Bay of Bengal.
Special teams are formed to coordinate rescue measures in view of the new depression system forming in the seas, Jayakumar further mentioned in his statement.
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