More than a week after tsunamis hit the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, over 1,000 fishermen families in Port Blair are struggling to make ends meet.
They are not being allowed to fish in the high seas and also demand for fish has dropped due to fear of contamination.
"We are ready to go to sea. We have repaired some of our damaged boats. But the fisheries department is not allowing us to venture out," Tirupatti, a fisherman living at the Fishermen's Colony in Junglee Ghat, told PTI.
Gurumurthy, another fisherman said, "If we set sail in the sea, the Coast Guard is sure to intercept us."
Another major problem, they said, is that no one is willing to buy fish after the tsunami due to fear of contamination.
"We had some fish from before the tsunami. When we went to the markets to sell it two days later, no one bought the fish and ultimately we had to throw it away as it was beginning to rot," the fishermen said.
They said this was because the administration had directed people not to buy fish as it might lead to health problems.
Each family used to sell 100-150 kg of fish a week before the tsunami struck.
When contacted, Lt Governor Ram Kapase admitted warning people not to eat fish and also that fishermen are not being allowed to go to sea.
He said fishing would be allowed as soon as it became safe to do so. "The fisheries secretariat will take a decision on it."
Kapase said 45 fishermen are still missing from Campbell Bay, Little Andaman and Katchal.
