Fishermen of this coastal town abstained from fishing for the second consecutive day on Tuesday following warnings on Cyclone ‘Arnab’. The India Meteorological Department said the sea would be rough, so boats stayed at the shore. Many fishermen got only a small catch after using nets near the beach area.

Fishermen of this coastal town abstained from fishing for the second consecutive day on Tuesday following warning on Cyclone ‘Arnab’.

As the India Meteorological Department had warned that the sea would be rough in the wake of the cyclone in the Bay of Bengal, the boats involved in deep sea fishing have been urged to return to the shore immediately. Fishermen operating the mechanised boats from Thoothukudi Fishing Harbour did not go venture into the sea on Monday. They abstained from fishing for the second day on Tuesday as there was no improvement in the weather.

Only a few fishermen from Terespuram and New Harbour Beach ventured into the sea on country boats in areas closer to the shore and returned with small catch.

The New Harbour Beach fishermen tested their fortune with ‘Karai Madi’ (shore net), which is cast in the sea at a distance from the shore from a boat and is retrieved by more than 30 people standing on the shore.

After hours of toiling in dragging the fishnet, the fishermen had to be content with around 350 kg sardines, smaller trevally, and white snapper fishes.