A group of fishermen from Koyilandy, on Wednesday, locked horns with their counterparts from Elathur alleging that the latter violated local fishing territories. The fishers complained that the encroachment of boats from other regions into their territory at Kappad was causing huge loss to their daily income. Boat intercepted The irate fishermen also intercepted the rival’s fibre boat and handed over it to the Koyilandy police. The fishermen groups came close to blows on the Kappad coastal area early on the morning. Police officials from Koyilandy said the issue was amicably settled later in the presence of some of the people’s representatives from the area. No case was registered as the fishers agreed to cooperate with the conciliation attempts and admitted the collective decision to temporarily stop mussel harvesting at Kappad. Second incident It was the second time that the fishers from two locations clash over mussel harvesting. Though the Kerala fishers have the right to carry out fishing anywhere on the Kerala coast, the local fishers have redefined the boundaries again to ensure an even distribution of the resources. Often, the infringement of this local understanding leads to clashes, the police said.
2017, The Hindu.