Fishermen demand net mending course for youth

Fishermen have urged the State government to revive a training programme on net mending at the Fisheries University at Ponneri. It would help youngsters upskill themselves and start a small business making and mending nets for fishermen with boats.

Nanjil Ravi, Anaithu Meenavar Sangam, said that the scheme had been put on hold by the University for reasons unknown. “Usually, youngsters who don’t own boats take up this course. But many are unable to. As fish catch dwindles in the sea, this is a one-of-a-kind programme that will help youngsters in the community to stand on their own feet and to deny training is unfair,” he said.

A retired official of the Fisheries Department explained that the training is provided when the beneficiary applies for a loan with a bank to set up a business and they seek a certificate of some sort of training. They undergo training at the University as directed by the MSME department. The beneficiaries are provided lunch and travel allowance. The amount spent on that previous batch was not reimbursed to the university by the Skill Development Centre through which the training is provided, he added.

Community leader M.D. Dayalan said that only two courses were conducted by the University under this scheme, one is the boat driver training and the other net mending. “It would do good if more courses are included. How many boat drivers and net vendors can we have? Training in proper storage of fish and processing of different kinds of fish too would help,” he demanded.

An official in the University said that they will look into the issue.