Police in East Midnapore’s Digha, acting jointly with the district administration, on Wednesday morning rounded up at least 20 vessels from deep waters and sent them to the shore for allegedly breaching the weather-related red alert that banned fishermen from entering the sea.
A coast guard hovercraft dispatched near Mohona later reportedly rounded up eight more vessels.
In all, 28 trawlers were rounded up.
Police speedboats, acting on reports from Mohona coastline that fishing trawlers had been spotted, began rounding up violators and ensured they were docked for the day.
An indefinite red alert was clamped from Monday evening in coastal East Midnapore in view of the weather forecast of heavy rain and squall. Sources on Wednesday said as the weather had improved on Tuesday night, fishermen possibly decided to try their luck on Wednesday. Representatives of the fishermen’s association, however, said the rounded-up vessels had been out at sea since before the red alert.
Police on Wednesday rounded up trawlers from as far as 35km into the sea. Ramnagar-I BDO Bishnupada Ray and officer-in-charge of Digha (coastal), Satyajit Chanakya were on shore where public-announcement systems warned others from setting sail.
“The red alert stands until further notification. We had told the association and they should have ensured all fishermen knew the rules,” said assistant director of fisheries (marine) Surajit Bag. “If any vessel is seen, an FIR will be filed.”
District officials said the fishermen's association would get a notice in connection with errant trawlers on Wednesday. Fishermen insisted these trawlers were returning to the shore from a previous journey. “More than 200 are out at sea. A few were seen in Digha because of better weather, others are docked at Kakdwip,” said fishermen’s association secretary Shyamsundar Das.
Vessel leak
In South 24-Parganas, Raj Rajeswari, a reportedly unregistered fishing vessel, sprang a leak in turbulent waters near Jambudwip island. Sources said the vessel sailed last weekend. Sources said Fraserganj police took six hours to save its five occupants from drowning with the vessel.
