Around 50,000 sea divers in Rameswaram, Pudupattinam and Kizhakarai villages in Ramanathapuram district have decided to boycott elections till the Centre lifts the ban on harvesting sea cucumbers.
The fishing community, which is involved in sea diving for over 500 years, has now started smuggling these marine animals due to the ban.
Sea cucumbers, or holothurians (kadal attai in Tamil) slugs, are found on the sea bed along the coral reefs. There are about 650 species of sea cucumbers. About 280 species are found in the Indian seas, of which about a dozen of them have commercial value in countries like Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, Hong Kong and China for their taste and medicinal value.
The costliest and better varieties — sand fish or white cucumber (vella attai in Tamil), lolly fish (karuppu attati) and red fish — are largely available in the Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay in the southern tip of the country. Each cucumber fetches Rs 10 to Rs 100, depending on the species and size. If the government lifts the ban it can be sold anywhere between Rs 500 and Rs 1,200.
Currently, after processing, middlemen sell 10-20 counts a kg for Rs 3,000 to 3,500, and 30-40 counts a kg at Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000. S Jaffar, convener, Tamil Nadu AITUC Fishermen Union (TNAFU), says fishermen can directly sell to the agents if the ban is lifted. Traders, of course, get a much higher rate in the international market.
He adds that 200,000-300,000 families in 480 villages depend on this profession.
The government had banned fishing of sea cucumber as they are endangered. However, the fishermen argue that “There is no data to support the claim that sea cucumbers are declining.”
Even international agencies such as the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species have not classified these cucumbers under the endangered category.
“We want the ministry to lift the ban on white, red and black cucumbers, which the fisherfolk have been netting for generations. Moreover, divers can collect only a limited number because they have to frequently come up for breathing,” says Mohammed Bathirosoli, president, TNAFU.
