Pulicat fishermen urge T.N., Andhra govts. to demarcate fishing grounds using GPS

Fishermen from both Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh have been urging their respective state governments to mark fishing grounds using GPS technology. At a meeting in Tiruvallur district, representatives from 25 fishing hamlets that rely on Pulicat Lake, which straddles the two states, expressed their frustration. They highlighted that the traditional demarcation of fishing areas using palmyrah tree trunks has become unreliable, as the trunks rot in saltwater and disputes can arise when new trunks are placed.

The violent incident in April 2014, where houses, boats, nets, and engines of Chinna Mangodu village in Pulicat were set ablaze by fishermen from Andhra Pradesh in response to a fishing border dispute, has led to a lack of trust between the two communities. In retaliation, Tamil Nadu fishermen have largely refrained from fishing in waters under Andhra Pradesh's control. This has resulted in 199 pending police cases against men from Tamil Nadu fishing hamlets.

Following the meeting, Tiruvallur District Collector S. Kavitha and Tirupathi Additional Collector R. Govinda Rao decided to maintain the current system of fishing until the governments decide on a permanent solution. Fishing community leader Durai Mahendran emphasized the urgency of implementing GPS demarcation, stating that it would bring peace to the villages and potentially lead to the dismissal of pending cases against fishermen.