Serious security lapse, fishermen fall ill

Udupi. In a serious case of safety lapse in fishing boats, a fisherman almost died due to methane inside the ship’s hold. The release of methane inside the hold was caused by petrification of the fish food material stored inside and not enough ice being used to cover it. The condition of the fishermen (names withheld on request) is said to be critical, while a diver who pulled out the unconscious fisherman has also been admitted to hospital after inhaling methane. Diving expert Ishwar Malpe, known for saving many people in water-related risks in the past, is said to be out of danger.
According to fishermen from Malpe and Mangaluru, these incidents of methane ingestion by fishermen during multi-day fishing expeditions have become common and are occurring repeatedly at short intervals. One of the senior fishermen recalled that the latest incident of methane breathing was the third in the last two months. The earlier incidents were mild but in both incidents fishermen suffered dizziness, blurred vision and temporary breathing problems. The Academy of Fisheries says that repeated exposure to methane can also cause brain damage, vision impairment and neurotic problems.
The fisheries department is turning a blind eye to this problem. Boat owners cut down on ice supplies to cover low-value fish food items to cut operating costs. However, owners earn additional income by selling fish meal to factories that produce fertilizer and food pellets to feed high-value shrimp farms in saltwater. Poor fishermen are often innocently caught and exposed to methane during their expeditions.
A fishermen task force headed by late Fr. National Fishworkers Federation President Thoman Kochery had recommended reducing all the operational risks that fishermen face during multi-day fishing expeditions and wanted the government to provide them protection from multiple hazards and health hazards and here Even to insure against death. But owners of fishing boats put pressure on the government and canceled all the recommendations of the taskforce. Senior fishing boat owner recalled that fishermen had been experiencing methane inhalation for many years without knowing why and what was happening to them, with some even attributing it to spirits whom they worshiped(eom)