Mangaluru: Four years after the Centre stopped supplying non-PDS kerosene, traditional fishermen along Karnataka’s coast say rising fuel costs have forced some to stop fishing, restrict trips, shift occupations or migrate for work.Traditional fishermen have urged the Centre to restore non-PDS kerosene supplies or reduce GST on industrial kerosene, saying the cost of fuel has risen sharply since the special supply was discontinued.Yashvant Gangoli, secretary of Karnataka Rajya Nadadoni Meenugarara Sangha, said Karnataka has 8,030 permits for traditional fishing boats and requires 24,090 kL of kerosene over 10 months, based on a requirement of 300 litres per boat per month.“Earlier, the Centre supplied non-PDS kerosene quarterly. Against our requirement, we sometimes received only 2,000-3,000 kL at a time. Even about 8,000 kL a year was considered high,” he said.According to Gangoli, fishermen earlier paid around Rs 35 a litre for kerosene, with the state bearing the balance cost. After the central supply stopped, the state shifted to industrial kerosene and introduced a Rs 35-per-litre incentive. However, industrial kerosene prices rose to Rs 140-150 a litre, leaving fishermen to pay Rs 115-120 after the incentive. The current effective price is around Rs 106-110 a litre.“We have demanded lower GST on industrial kerosene or restoration of central non-PDS supply. If pollution is the reason for stopping the special supply while kerosene remains available for other uses, why was it stopped for fishermen?” Gangoli said.Aswath, president of Karavali Mula Meenugarara Sanghatane, said high fuel costs had forced some traditional fishermen to stop fishing or restrict themselves to shorter trips.“We are hoping some new option might come for us. An electric company approached us, but has not given us anything for testing so far,” he said.In Uttara Kannada, Somanath Moger, former secretary of Nadadoni Fishermen Association of Uttara Kannada, said nearly 90% of fishermen had kept their boats ashore.Kerosene prices in Bhatkal have risen from Rs 60 to Rs 117 a litre, he said, adding that many had shifted occupations or migrated for work.Ganesh, additional director, department of fisheries, said the state had sought higher allocations from the Centre.“A proposal from food and civil supplies department has been sent to the central govt. We have asked them for a higher quantity, but nothing has come from the Centre. We send the proposal every year,” he said.Dakshina Kannada fisheries department deputy director Dileep Kumar said the Centre discontinued non-PDS kerosene as part of its move away from kerosene and petroleum products on environmental and sustainability grounds.He added that alternatives need to be explored.
