Fishermen in Nagapattinam resumed fishing after 11 days as the cyclone Moonda warning was lifted.
Due to the storm forming in the Bay of Bengal, authorities had issued a precautionary ban on fishing, and the “second point” cyclone warning flag was hoisted at Nagapattinam port.
Fishermen from about 25 coastal villages, including Akkaraipettai, Nagoor, Pattinacherry, Nambiar Nagar, Seruthur, Kameshwaram, Vizhunthamavadi, Arukattuthurai, and Kodiyakkarai, refrained from going to sea during this period, affecting a total of about 700 country boats and 3,000 fiber boats.
After the cyclone moved away and the warning flag was lowered, sea conditions became favorable, and the fisheries department granted permission for fishing to resume. Early morning today, fishermen left the Nagapattinam fishing harbor with tokens issued by the fisheries department, hopeful of a good catch after the long break.
Fishermen expressed optimism that the prolonged absence from the sea would likely result in abundant fish availability. This resumption is crucial for their livelihoods, which were impacted during the fishing ban due to safety concerns amid adverse weather conditions caused by the cyclone.
The government continues to monitor weather and sea conditions closely to ensure fishermen’s safety while supporting their economic interests. The lifting of the cyclone warning has brought relief and renewed activity to the fishing communities along the Nagapattinam coast.