On ‘Sindhanai Sirpi’ Singaravelar’s 167th birth anniversary on Wednesday, fishermen from hamlets in and around the city, took an oath to oppose projects like Blue Economy and TN Shore as they do not seem to ‘bother’ about the welfare of the fisher community.
“These projects only aim at economic development through tourism, ports, ship building activities, and assistance for large fishing companies. We are being side-lined. These projects do not speak about long-term measures for issues like rising sea-level and coastal erosion. Fishing hamlets are the first to get affected in the event of any natural disaster on the coast. There are no systems in place for our safety,” said fishing community leader K. Bharathi.
Kabaddi Maran, a community leader, said that both Central and State governments were vying with each other to make money out of the coast in the name of economic development. Artisanal fishermen and even those with mechanised boats were suffering due to dwindling catch. The governments were not bothered about the welfare of fishermen, he charged.
Published – February 19, 2026 01:01 am IST
