The flooding of Netravathi due to heavy rain accompanied with wind over the last four days has resulted in loss of over ₹20 lakh to four fishermen engaged in cage fish farming at the river near Jeppu Ferry Road in the city, according to fish farmers.
Three years ago, Sudesh, Kasturi and Deepika took a subsidy from the government, while fisherwoman Raksha availed a loan, to start cage fishing. With break even yield in the first year and better income in the second year, the four fishermen made significant investment in cage fishing this year.
“The sudden rise in water level in the river on Thursday, Friday and Saturday caused extensive damage to 14 cages and the sea bass reared in those cages died. The four fishermen lost ₹8.9 lakh worth of seabass and 14 cages worth ₹11.6 lakh,” said social entrepreneur Raghuveer Sooterpet, who is closely associated with the four fishermen.
Mr. Sooterpet said no prior warning about the release of water was made to fishermen downstream of the Netravathi. “If prior warning had been issued, the fishermen would have taken additional precautions to prevent the damage,” he said. There is a need for the State and the Union governments to compensate the loss for fishermen involved in cage fish farming, which is now an evolving means of livelihood for fishermen, he said.
Four fishermen engaged in cage fish farming along the Netravathi near Jeppu Ferry Road suffered a loss of over ₹20 lakh following floods and heavy wind in the region between Thursday and Saturday. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
D. Siddaiah, Joint Director of Fisheries Department, who visited the spot of cage fish farming, told The Hindu that loss suffered by the four fishermen was the same as that suffered by people along the waterbodies in the floods. Unlike other losses that are compensated, the loss to cage fish farming cannot be compensated as it is presently not covered under the National Disaster Response Fund norms. Moreover, no insurance firm has so far come forward to insure cage fish farming.
“A proposal will be sent to district administration to consider paying compensation to the affected fishermen,” he said.
