Rameswaram fishermen gearing up to set sail

Rameswaram Island, Tamil Nadu, July 18 (UNI) Hectic preparations were on at the Rameswaram jetty as fishermen using mechanised fishing trawlers were gearing up to venture into the sea early tomorrow for fishing, after a gap of 14 days.

The Rameswaram jetty, which wore a deserted look till yesterday, owing to the 13-day strike by the fishermen in protest against the indiscriminate attacks by the Sri Lankan Navy on them, was buzzing with activity this evening, as the fishing folk were making arrangements to set sail tomorrow.

The fishermen called off their stir yesterday, after a meeting with Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, who assured them of taking steps to redress their grievances.

Official sources said an estimated 850 registered mechanised fishing boats would set sail before dawn tomorrow from here.

Besides, the traditional catamaran fishermen would also venture into sea.

The strike by the fishermen of Rameswaram, one of the major marine food centres in South India, had resulted in loss of Rs 4.80 Crore foreign exchange to the exchequer, severely affecting the economy of this town, where fishing was the only major industry.

The strike had also resulted in a production loss of around Rs 24 crore for the fishing industry.

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