Trawler and mechanised boat fishermen in Thanjavur district have ended their strike called to protest against officials of the Fisheries Department and have decided to resume fishing from October 24.
In a press release on Friday, A. Thajuddin, general secretary, Tamil Nadu Fishermen’s Welfare Board (TNFWB) based in Mallipattinam, Thanjavur district, said the decision to call off the strike that began on October 11 was taken in view of the upcoming festival season and the need for approximately 15,000 affected members of the fishing community to sustain their livelihood.
On October 10, two of the three mechanised boats of Thanjavur district operating between Chellakanni Canal and the shores of Kodiayakarai were seized by the authorities of the Fisheries Department for allegedly using single trawl nets within five nautical miles of the coastline, which is prohibited under the rules of the Tamil Nadu Marine Fishing Regulations 2020.
Cases were booked against the operators of the three boats, besides those of another three boats operating in the Muthupettai lagoon on October 7, for similar reasons, with heavy fines levied on the fishers.
“We had requested the officials of the Fisheries Department and the local administration to withdraw the legal action and resolve this issue amicably through dialogue, but there was no consensus. This led to the call for the strike on October 11. We are ending it to help fishermen recover some of their earnings ahead of the festival season,” said the release.
TNFWB said the growing presence of fishing boats from Karaikal district as damaging the marine resources used the local communities based in the Palk Bay region. “Local fishers are allowed to fish here only for three days a week, but outsiders stay for the entire week. We urge the authorities to restrict the usage of the Palk Bay waters for fishermen from the Thanjavur, Pudukottai, and Ramanathapuram districts,” the body said.
Published - October 23, 2026 04:55 pm IST