Thoothukudi fishermen face crisis as seaweed clogs nets, hits income

Fishermen in Thoothukudi face a livelihood crisis as strong winds wash massive amounts of seaweed ashore. Their nets are getting filled with seaweed instead of fish, leading to a drastic drop in income and damage to their fishing gear.

Fishermen struggle with massive influx of seaweed (Photo/ANI)

Seaweed Influx Hits Livelihood

Local fishermen along the port and coastal areas of Thoothukudi are facing a severe livelihood crisis as strong seasonal winds drive massive quantities of seaweed ashore, disrupting routine fishing operations. Over the past few days, intensifying wind speeds have triggered a heavy influx of marine flora washing into coastal waters. Instead of fish, fishermen heading out to sea are finding their nets packed entirely with dense layers of seaweed, making it difficult for the fishermen to haul them back out of the water. As a result, the catching of seaweed in fishermen's nets leads to a drastic drop in their daily catch and income. Furthermore, fishermen report that the excessive weight of the trapped seaweed exerts extra force on the nets, sometimes causing them to tear and get damaged. Already hit hard by rough seas and high winds, local fishermen express deep concern that their livelihood is being further impacted by this heavy influx of seaweed in their nets.

Strong Winds Blamed for Crisis

Local fishermen state that the primary reason for such large amounts of seaweed washing ashore is the prevailing strong winds at sea. Strong winds, particularly during seasonal shifts and monsoon periods, intensify wave action. These high-speed winds whip up the surface water and push floating or loosely rooted marine flora toward the shallow coastal belts.

Fishermen Halt Operations for Festival

Earlier on Tuesday, the mechanised boat fishermen of Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu decided not to go fishing in the sea for the next three days, in view of the 444th annual festival of the famous Roman Catholic Shrine, the 'Our Lady of Snows Basilica' in Thoothukudi. The fishermen skipped fishing activities on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday to participate and pray at the festival. Consequently, hundreds of mechanised fishing boats were anchored along the shore at the Thoothukudi Fishing Harbour. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianetnews Editorial staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)