We risk our life every day, for living

“We risk our life every day, for living” – Mohan, a fisherman.

     Nochikuppan is located at the bed of marina’s sea shore. This sacred place of fish vendor’s experienced two tsunami attacks. “Even though the housing boards were collapsed, we managed to adopt within the unrepaired ceilings “says Mrs.Mathi, 38 year old fish merchant. 

At the age of 32, She took their own shop from her mother,”I never wanted to undertake my mother job”, she recalls. The new housing boards was being build on the government land which was located near the collapsed residential blocks, people are awaiting for the order to shift their house.

About one hundred fish shops are mushroomed on the pedestrian’s road which comes under the 150 year old nochikuppam remained open from 6 in the morning till 9 in the evening. “We risk our life everyday for living; a male from each family will have to go for fishing “says Mr.mohan, 29 year old fishermen .we leave our home by 4 in the evening and return by 7 in the morning, in between sessions were crucial part of our life because of the high tides and unsafe zone. We never wanted to go beyond 30 kilometers since we got Single motor and an old wooden boat that will never guaranty our life, since we learnt swimming in childhood, the tides never threatens us, says Mr.mohan.

About 150 wooden boats belongs to nochikuppam fisherman are ready to swim on the sea with Fishing net, stove, diesel, cereals and rice, etcetera. The fisherman concludes the depth of the sea with the nylon rope and start throwing their nets into the sea. Their boat with engine costing nearly one and half lakhs, almost 3000 or 4000 INR profit can be earned by selling the captured fishes on one visit to sea. Nethali,surra,koduva,vavvaal are the largest sold fishes in nochikuppam.” Fishing is a part of my life and I liked it “says Mr.Rajesh a 30 year old fish merchant from nochikuppam fish market.

Surra is the rare fish, each worth Rupees 1lakh INR. “I am the luckiest person, if I could get one surra per month “says Mr.Rajesh. Fisherman’s society takes care of nochikuppam fisherman’s family; society collects 160 INR for a family on each month and repays 4000 INR per family on every Diwali. “Tamilnadu Government provides 1500 INR as a diesel allowances to each and every family as to protect and encourage fishing” says Mr.Mohan.

_ lingaraja Sivanaiah