Thai trawlers give Coast Guards a slip

The drama in the high seas of Bay of Bengal ended today with the Coast Guards and the BSF calling off their search operations for the Thai t...

The drama in the high seas of Bay of Bengal ended today with the Coast Guards and the BSF calling off their search operations for the Thai trawlers that allegedly fired at Indian fishermen. The trawlers apparently gave them a slip.

It all began on November 9 at Kendudwip, an island, 130 km south of Kolkata. Four Thai trawlers, fishermen said, stopped two Indian trawlers Binoy Badal Dinesh and Payel which were ahead of a group of 40 trawlers near Kendudwip.

‘‘We sailed away for fear of our lives and hid ourselves in the creeks,’’ said chief navigator Prahlad Majhi, who informed the owner of Payel over his wireless.

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‘‘We are at their (Thais) mercy,’’ Govinda Pradhan, assistant secretary of Sunderban Fish Workers’ Union which has about 80,000 members, said. ‘‘They often intimidate us, fire at us and destroy our fishing nets. Despite our repeated requests to set up a permanent Coast Guards station here nothing has been done.”

Kendudwip is a favourite fishing spot because of its high quality fishes. Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharya assured he will take up the matter with the Centre and ask for increased patrolling in the area.

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