verted into tuna longliners, they can only go to the deep sea. One of the condi-tions of the scheme is that they can-not reconvert these liners into trawling boats. We need to get these fishermen out of this part of the sea and allow the fish to grow again,” he says.

The state offers 50% subsidy up to a max-imum of ̀ 30 lakh to fishermen who are will-ing to convert or replace their trawlers. Groups of fishermen are encouraged to ap-ply, so that the initial investment can be split between them and the scheme itself would benefit more families. Since the scheme was introduced in 2013, over 270 applications have been received but no longliner has yet hit the sea. “We are in the process of issuing work orders,” says the official. “Once work orders are issued, it will take nine months for the first tuna longliner to be rolled out. It is still in the pi-lot stages,” he says. The official adds that a tie-up is in the works — between BSNL and a sat-phone provider — to ensure fishermen at deep sea are connected. A state level bankers’ meet too was called earlier this year to hammer out modalities for banks to lend to fishermen as part of this scheme.

The state has allocated ̀ 30 crore towards the scheme and has petitioned the Centre for an additional ̀ 975 crore. Training mod-ules and tuna landing centres are also on the anvil. The state government is working on an amendment to the Tamil Nadu Ma-rine Fisheries Regulation Act 1983 to allow larger vessels to ply the seas.

Tuning in to Tuna

Boat driver Rubiston in Kasimedu, Chen-nai, laughs heartily at the idea of a scheme for tuna longliners. “I have been catching tuna for the past 12 years,” he says. “Forget the boat, have you ever tried going out to sea for 10-15 days? There is no communica-tion — we don’t know whether a storm is coming, we cannot call for help, we don’t have the technology to find the location of the tuna. It is a dangerous life,” he says.

His crew member Ravi Selvan chips in. “We have to chase the tuna you know,” he smiles. “Wherever it goes, we have to fol-low. We look at the colour of the sea and find out where the tuna is likely to be. We de-pend only on experience,” he adds.

Dinesh Singh, another tuna boat owner in Kasimedu, says the government first has to address the issue of creating a lucrative

market for tuna. “The boats have to stay on sea for at least a week if we are

to make returns on our investment,” he adds. “We store tuna in ice and salt. But after a week, they begin to go

bad. The fish’s eyes become red and then companies don’t

want to buy them,” he says. “We take big loans to buy a boat and to pay our crew,” adds Singh. “The govern-

ment can help us by set-ting up processing cen-tres at harbours.”

This sentiment in Chennai is echoed down south too. Rameswaram Trawler Boats Fishermen’s As-

sociation president Jesu-

raja agrees. “There is no local market for tuna. The government needs to take steps to ensure procurement and sell it to interna-tional players. Only then this scheme will take off. Right now we wonder why we have been born as fishermen. It is nothing but a curse,” he says.

The economics of the tuna versus the prawn and the shrimp also keep fishermen clinging to their trawlers. Tuna fishing is easier on the pocket. Diesel consumption is less and the nets last for at least three years. But while export potential is high, the mar-ket has not been tapped. Prawns sell at ̀ 500 a kg and tiger prawns sell for ̀ 1,500-2,000. Tuna prices though have dropped to `55 a kg from ̀ 100 a year ago.

Tuna longliners cost on average ̀ 60 lakh along with the gill net and other equipment. Trawlers, on the other hand, cost only `10 lakh, all included — a smaller sum and there-fore easier to procure from local money-lenders. “Banks don’t lend to us,” says Karuthaiah, another boat owner at Kasimedu. “You say the word fisherman to a bank and they run a mile! We take loans lo-cally at high interest rates to start off. Even-tually we get stuck in that loan cycle,” he adds. When quizzed about the tuna longlin-er scheme, Karuthaiah simply shrugs. “Will the government give me the money immedi-ately? No. Can I stay penniless for a year, waiting for the government to give me the money? No. It is easier to borrow locally and buy a boat immediately,” he says.

Politics of Fishing

While officials grapple with an economic solution to the fishermen issue, politicians continue to rage and rant to satisfy a per-ceived vote bank. DMK spokesperson TKS Elangovan refuses to acknowledge the ben-efits of the scheme. “You cannot restrict fishermen to a particular type of fish,” he says. “They have their preferences. You have to take into account marketability and price of the fish. I don’t know whether this scheme will solve the issue. But yes, it is true that both Lankan and Tamil fishermen do not see eye to eye,” he says in a rare admis-sion. “The immediate solution is for the In-dian Coast Guard to ensure that our fisher-men do not cross over to the Lankan side. The long-term solution is for fishermen talks to continue,” he adds.

The ruling AIADMK continues to pass the buck to the Centre. “The Centre must use diplomatic pull to ensure Sri Lanka stops ar-resting our fishermen,” says a senior AIAD-MK leader. “The state government is taking steps on tuna fishing but those waters are our traditional fishing waters, we too have rights there,” he adds.

The BJP says their government has acted quickly and consistently to get arrested Ta-mil fishermen released. “But the long-term solution is only deep sea fishing,” says state BJP president Tamilisai Soundararajan. “The BJP government at the Centre is plan-ning a big push for deep sea fishing, on top of the existing subsidies given by MPEDA. We need to make our fishermen aware, pro-mote deep sea fishing and steer them clear of Lankan waters,” she says. �

(The writer is a freelance journalist)

behind the newsNOVEMBER 30-DECEMBER 06, 2014

13

Breakup of Seafood Exports

source: FAO, Fisheries Survey of India and MPEDA

can only ndi--

sea e says.o a max-

msta

to mheBu

million sq km

Exclusive economic zone

of India

South East Asia

US

Others Middle East

Value of marine exports

China

Japan

EU

Prawns sell at `500 a kg and tiger prawns sell for `1,500-2,000. Tuna prices though have dropped to `55 a kg from `100 a year ago

Fig for 2011-12`16,597.23cr

Frozen shrimpMain seafood

export of India

Share of canned tuna in

the total US seafood intake

There is Promise

Major tuna consumersJapan � US � France � Spain �

Italy � West Germany