Chennai: The first Sunday after the seasonal fishing ban was lifted brought large crowds to Chennai’s Kasimedu harbour. However, celebrations were short-lived as a dramatically thin catch drove fish prices to punishing highs.Species such as sankara, aiyla, vanjiram, nethili, paarai, soorai, crab, and squid arrived in meagre quantities, triggering a sharp spike in retail prices. Large-sized Vanjiram, which sold at ₹1,500 per kg before the ban, fetched ₹2,400. Small sankara jumped from ₹200 to ₹500. “Whichever fish landed at the harbour were priced very high,” said fish vendor Balraman.Deep-sea fishing boat owner B Muthukumaran said vessels that returned Saturday night and Sunday morning brought only moderate quantities of export-oriented varieties such as cuttlefish, octopus, leather jacket, ribbon fish, and large squid, doing little to ease the supply crunch.Behind the depleted haul lies a structural crisis. Many experienced boat drivers from Andhra Pradesh and Odisha have returned to their home states, where new fishing harbours in Nellore and Kaavali have allowed them to acquire their own boats. The Andhra Pradesh govt has since barred vessels from other states within ten nautical miles of its marine waters, a restriction that has effectively cut Chennai fishermen off from traditionally rich fishing grounds. “Fishermen from Chennai used to go up to Machlipatnam for fishing. The ban has cut our catch significantly,” Muthukumaran said.Escalating diesel and cooking gas prices are further squeezing margins, compounding what industry insiders warn is a deepening crisis for Tamil Nadu’s fishing sector.
