The fishermen community at Vizhinjam kept away from work on Monday alleging that the authorities failed to launch a search and rescue operation to find a fisherman identified as Jose, 35, who went missing in the sea on Sunday.
The agitated fishermen who started a search operation on their own on 25 odd boats returned without success.
Though the Coast Guard launched a search operation on Monday they were also unable to find the missing fisherman.
“Jose went missing when he along with three others were returning after a catch. Due to high tide and strong wind the boat capsized and the four fishermen jumped into the sea.
Three of them who were spotted after hours, were rescued by fishermen who were sailing in big fishing boats and the message about the missing fisherman was sent to the authorities. But the Fisheries Department instead of pressing for a rescue operation failed to do so. It is in protest against this that we kept away from work and launched a search operation of our own,” said Jospeh Lopez of Swthanthra Matsya Thozhilali Federation.
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