Missing Fishermen, MFA to stop fishing activity on Jan 6 and block NH66
Udupi: The Malpe Fishermen Association has decided to stop the fishing activities as well as to block the National Highway 66 on January 6 and demand to trace the missing fishing boat Suvarna Tribhuja along with seven fishermen on board that had gone missing off the coast of Goa on December 15.
Speaking on the occasion Malpe Fishermen Association president Sathish Kundar said, “In spite of repeated appeals to the elected representatives and bureaucrats in the region, we have not received any positive response. It is a mystery that all the seven fishermen who were on board have gone missing. Although other fishing boats tried their best to trace the missing boat Suvarna Tribhuja their efforts have been futile”.
“The fishermen had ventured into the sea on December 13 and had been in contact with others until 1:00 pm on December 15. All their mobile phones were switched off later. Now even after 19 days, there is no trace of the boat nor the fishermen,” Kundar reminded.
The government has been responding to the farmers’ problems immediately but at the same time have been neglecting the fishermen. We should show our strength to the government. The government should come and meet us. On January 6, fishermen will stop fishing activities in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada District and gather at the Malpe port at 8:30 am, thereafter there will be a Padayatra from Malpe to Karavali Bypass. Nearly 25 thousand fishermen from three districts are expected to gather, he said.
The DK and Udupi district fish federation president Yashpal Suvarna said that the government is playing with the lives of fishermen. We should give a firm warning to the government through this protest. If the state government tries to test the fishermen’s patience it will be a big problem for the government, he warned.
