Fishermen at Chinna Muttom fishing harbour in Kanniyakukari district on Monday.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGMENT
A clash broke out at Chinna Muttom fishing harbour in the early hours of Monday, after a few boats ventured into the sea before the stipulated departure time.Following this incident, Fisheries department officials barred all mechanised boat fishermen from venturing into the sea, citing violations of the prescribed time restrictions.More than 350 mechanised boats operating from the Chinna Muttom fishing harbour are engaged in deep-sea fishing. Fishermen usually leave the harbour at around 5 a.m. and return to the shore tonight.According to sources, six mechanised boats from Chinna Muttom ventured into the sea around 2 a.m. on Monday, allegedly violating the prescribed departure time. Acting on the information, officials of the Fisheries Department instructed the six boats to return to the harbour immediately.Subsequently, the department imposed restrictions on all mechanised boats from undertaking fishing operations for a day, citing the violation of regulations.Sources said the decision triggered a protest from other mechanised boat fishermen, who questioned why restrictions had been imposed on all instead of only those who violated the rules. The disagreement escalated into a confrontation between fishermen from Chinna Muttom and Kanniyakumari.Meanwhile, another group of fishermen from Chinna Muttom gathered at the harbour opposing the protest. A heated argument between the two groups escalated into stone pelting, resulting in injuries to fishermen.Following information about the clash, police personnel rushed to the spot and were deployed around the harbour to prevent further violence. Published - July 06, 2026 09:06 pm IST
