Across Konkan region, small scale to medium fishermen are in verge of losing their livelihood. On one hand, the small scale fishermen are suffering due to the narrowing down of backwaters because of nearby ports run by big corporates; on the other hand, the medium fishermen are trying to navigate their ways out amidst government curbs and regulations. But these issues hardly come up in the high-pitched electoral battles of the state. Will the new government take steps to save the traditional fishermen folks?
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00:00We are small fishermen. We don't have a boat with an engine.
00:04We work with our hands, but because of that we can't go out.
00:11And because of this, 70% of the people left the village and went to Mumbai.
00:26Hi, so we are now currently at 200 km away from Mumbai
00:29in Mendri village. So as we have been observing that one of the major issues
00:34of Raigarh Ratnagiri district, that's the Konkan region of Maharashtra,
00:38that's the crisis of fishermen, their lives, their crisis regarding the fishing facilities,
00:44the way it's actually working for the last few years, almost 10 to 15 years,
00:49is not going very well for them.
00:53My name is Maureshwar Nagya Patel.
00:56I am a member of the Mendri Koli Mahadev Samaj community.
01:02And here, we have a population of 1000 people.
01:12Out of the 1000 people, 75% went to Mumbai.
01:27Why did people go to Mumbai?
01:29There was no employment here.
01:31Fishing became less because of the companies.
01:34Digiport, Das Company, Rohini Yard, Agar Danda, Digiport,
01:43both the companies.
01:49Because of the distance between the companies, the current of the water increased.
01:59That's why the fish are having a lot of trouble.
02:02That's why the fish can't come up.
02:06That's why people have to struggle to fill their stomachs.
02:12And people are dying of starvation.
02:17What's your name?
02:18My name is Sunil Paikoli.
02:20There's a lot of industry here, which is causing this.
02:24Can you tell us a little more about what's happening in the industry?
02:27What's causing the fish to come down?
02:30Because of the industry, we have a problem.
02:33Our area was 5 km.
02:37There were two companies, Digiport and Das Offshore.
02:43They dug up the soil on both sides and reduced the area.
02:49That's why the current has increased.
02:51Because of the current, the fish can't come up.
02:55We are small fishermen.
02:58We don't have an engine boat.
03:00We work with our hands.
03:04But because of that, we can't go out.
03:07That's why 70% of the people left the village.
03:11Because of starvation, 70% of the people left for Bombay.
03:16Tell me one thing.
03:18There's going to be an election in the Konkan region.
03:22There's an election on the 7th.
03:24But you're not talking about fishing.
03:27Are you talking about Raigarh and Ratnagiri?
03:30What do you think?
03:32We're not talking about fishing.
03:35Because the ruling party here,
03:38their vote is against Adani.
03:43If they vote against Adani,
03:45because the standing MPs here have joined the BJP.
03:51They've supported it.
03:53If they vote against Adani,
03:55they won't get the CSR fund they deserve.
03:58They won't get the things they need to conduct elections.
04:04Who will talk about the poor?
04:07The condition of the fishermen.
04:09You saw a woman went fishing.
04:13Why did she go?
04:15She went because if her husband has to hire a man
04:20to catch fish, he'll have to pay 700-800 rupees.
04:24If that woman doesn't go with him,
04:27he won't get a fish for 800 rupees.
04:29But he'll have to pay the other man.
04:31In such a situation, why doesn't he die?
04:34He's taking his wife to the deep sea,
04:37to the reef,
04:39to prepare the fish,
04:42to feed his wife.
04:44This is Shokantika.
04:46MIDC, Khadi, Mahad.
04:49Chemical MIDC.
04:51All the chemical waste is being left in the deep sea.
04:56That canal is 75 km away from here.
05:00The chemical goes in there.
05:03This is the factory's problem.
05:05That is the chemical's problem.
05:07These small children,
05:09as I told you,
05:11their feet are covered in mud.
05:14Their feet are covered in mud.
05:17Look, this is all covered in mud.
05:22He has taken out one by one from the mud.
05:26Now he'll sell it and fill his stomach.
05:29Now these small children,
05:31they have to study,
05:33but because of starvation,
05:35because of unemployment,
05:37they left their homes to fill their stomachs.
05:39Earlier, this was made in the mud.
05:41Earlier, this was made in the mud.
05:43Now, because of the current,
05:45it comes out.
05:47It comes out a little.
05:49Earlier, it was found in the largest quantity here.
05:51Now, it is not found in the largest quantity.
05:53So, it is found inside.
05:55For this, they have to go inside.
05:57Now, you can see it here.
05:59Earlier, it was found a little,
06:01but now it is not visible.
06:03Now, Jhinga was also found.
06:05Jhinga was found a lot.
06:07At least 90% of it is over.
06:09Jhinga is over.
06:11All kinds of fish,
06:13oil was taken out from the company.
06:15Oil was supplied from here.
06:17Big cars go from here.
06:19Big trailers go from here.
06:21Hi, so we are now at Raigad district,
06:23Srivardhan Tehsil.
06:25And this is Jivnabandar.
06:27We are in the middle of the Arabian Sea.
06:29We have come here to understand
06:31the fate of the fishermen,
06:33the big fishermen who have trawlers.
06:35Today, when we have reached this place,
06:37we have found out,
06:39the people with big trawlers
06:41One is the sort of LED fishing.
06:43Second part is definitely
06:45climate change,
06:47due to which the fishes are living
06:49from the border sea area
06:51to the inner sea or the deep sea.
06:53So today, I am in one of those vacant boats
06:55that has been standing over here
06:57for almost two months.
06:59And I have one of the boat owners
07:01here with me.
07:03And let's talk to him
07:05to understand more about the issue.
07:07What is your name?
07:09My name is Dhanesh Waghe.
07:11Dhanesh ji,
07:13how long have you been doing this work?
07:15I have been doing this work
07:17for about 22 years.
07:19I have been doing this work
07:21since I was a child.
07:23So tell us one thing, Dhanesh ji,
07:25how did the fishing company
07:27that you had earlier change?
07:29What has changed?
07:31Earlier, there were a lot of fishermen.
07:33Earlier, there were
07:35very few fishermen.
07:37Earlier, there were not many fishermen.
07:39Earlier, there were only few fishermen.
07:41Earlier, there were only few fishermen.
07:43Yes, there were only few fishermen.
07:45They used to fish with LED.
07:47They used to fish with LED.
07:49They used to fish with LED.
07:51That's why the number of fishermen
07:53is decreasing.
07:55Because they have full technology.
07:57They go into the water
07:59and put the light on the deep sea.
08:01Because of putting the light on the deep sea,
08:03the fish are all attracted to the light.
08:05Because of attraction,
08:07the fish come close to the boat.
08:09Because of attraction, the fish come close to the boat.
08:11So, it is very easy to catch them.
08:13So, it is very easy to catch them.
08:15Now, we have to go around
08:17and fish.
08:19We have to run 100-90 km
08:21every day.
08:23If we don't catch them, we have to come back.
08:25Now, our boat
08:27is totally closed for two months.
08:29Now, our boat is totally closed for two months.
08:31There are no fish.
08:33If they fish with LED,
08:35we don't get fish.
08:37We go fishing in the morning
08:39and come back in the evening.
08:41We go fishing in the morning
08:43and come back in the evening.
08:45If they fish with LED,
08:47we don't get fish.
08:49In good season,
08:51we have to spend 20,000 rupees.
08:53In bad season,
08:55we have to spend 10,000 rupees.
08:57If the boat goes,
08:59we have to spend 100,000 rupees.
09:01If the boat goes,
09:03we spend 15,000 rupees.
09:05We have to eat every day.
09:07We have to pay 25,000 rupees per day.
09:11If the boat doesn't go fishing,
09:13we have to pay 10,000 rupees.
09:15We have to eat.
09:17In the evening,
09:19we have to pay 50,000 rupees for food.
09:21We have to pay 50,000 rupees for food.
09:23In the past,
09:25the rate of fish was low,
09:27but we used to get a lot of fish.
09:29Today, we are at Shakrinathi, which is one of the most beautiful places in the world.
09:36We are going to see the most beautiful place in the world, and we are going to see the
09:43most beautiful place in the world, and we are going to see the most beautiful place in
09:48the world, and we are going to see the most beautiful place in the world, and we are
09:53Today, we are at Shakrinathi, it's in Ratnagiri district.
10:00So, as we have been talking about the fishermen crisis in the Konkan region, this is another
10:06area where the issue is something else.
10:09They are suffering out of the banning on Persian net.
10:13The commissioner of fisheries has categorically said that only 182 license will be issued
10:21to the Persian net boats.
10:23The second problem they are suffering out of is Gujarat, Karnataka, and the big trolleys,
10:30big trawlers from different states whenever coming and taking away most of the fishes.
10:51So, you were saying that the license is not being renewed.
11:03Since how many years is your license not being renewed?
11:06My license was renewed 3 years ago, and now it's been 2 years and it's still not being
11:12renewed.
11:13Why is it not being renewed?
11:14The government knows why it's not being renewed.
11:16The government knows why it's not being renewed.
11:17The government knows why it's not being renewed.
11:18The government knows why it's not being renewed.
11:19The government knows why it's not being renewed.
11:20The government knows why it's not being renewed.
11:21The government knows why it's not being renewed.
11:22The government knows why it's not being renewed.
11:23The government knows why it's not being renewed.
11:24The government knows why it's not being renewed.
11:25The government knows why it's not being renewed.
11:26The government knows why it's not being renewed.
11:27The government knows why it's not being renewed.
11:28The government knows why it's not being renewed.
11:29The government knows why it's not being renewed.
11:30The government knows why it's not being renewed.
11:31The government knows why it's not being renewed.
11:32The government knows why it's not being renewed.
11:33The government knows why it's not being renewed.
11:34The government knows why it's not being renewed.
11:35The government knows why it's not being renewed.
11:36The government knows why it's not being renewed.
11:37The government knows why it's not being renewed.
11:38The government knows why it's not being renewed.
11:39The government knows why it's not being renewed.
11:40The government knows why it's not being renewed.
11:41The government knows why it's not being renewed.
11:42The government knows why it's not being renewed.
11:43The government knows why it's not being renewed.
11:44The government knows why it's not being renewed.
11:45The government knows why it's not being renewed.
11:46The government knows why it's not being renewed.
11:47The government knows why it's not being renewed.
11:48The government knows why it's not being renewed.
11:49The government knows why it's not being renewed.
11:50The government knows why it's not being renewed.
11:51The government knows why it's not being renewed.
11:52The government knows why it's not being renewed.