The recent increase in diesel prices and the categorisation of consumer pumps providing fuel to fishing boats have hit Kerala’s mechanised fishing sector badly.

Joseph Xavier Kalapurakkal, General Secretary of All Kerala Fishing Boat Operators Association, says that the mechanised fishing sector is in a grave crisis following the hike in diesel prices.

He pointed out that the diesel needs of fishing boats are mostly met by consumer pumps, owned by a group of boat owners or by one among of them. The present categorisation of these pumps considering the passive intake of diesel as bulk consumers’ analogues to KSRTC and Railways has affected the sector badly.

The hike of Rs 11.55 a litre cannot be offset by switching over to dealer pumps. The dealer pumps cannot provide credit facility to boat owners, he said.

The fishing boats are being supplied diesel by the dealer outlets and consumer pumps around fishing harbours. This arrangement is convenient to the members as the consumer pumps provide credit facility to the boats, he added.

The association also sought the intervention of the Prime Minister to restore the practice of providing diesel to fishing boats through consumer pumps at lower rates.

In a memorandum to the Prime Minister, the association pointed out that the classification of consumer pumps as mass consumers is unreasonable. These fishing boats are owned and operated by small investors catering the needs of mostly middle and lower middle class

There are about 76 marine outlets on the Kerala coast supplying around 17.6 crore litres of diesel to fishing boats yearly. Of this, 50 are consumer pumps, which supplies two-thirds of the fuel. The categorisation will affect around 2,500 mechanised fishing boats as well as 750 inboard boats.

sajeevkumar.v@thehindu.co.in

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