Fishermen protest against hatcheries being too close to high tide line

The units let out effluents, they complain

Fishermen organisations on Wednesday urged the government not to permit shrimp hatcheries to set up structures too close to the shore. Staging a protest at the office of the Fisheries Department at Nandanam, where the Coastal Aquaculture Authority (CAA) is also located, representatives of the Tamil Nadu Meenavar Iyakkangalin Orunginaippu Kuzhu alleged that the hatcheries that grew shrimp seeds meant for farms were setting up structures too close to the high tide line. “These units have approvals only from the CAA and have no other regulating authority. They let out effluents,” they alleged. They said vast tracts of common lands meant for use by fishing villages were being usurped by these industries.