Catch rots at harbour as CITU workers demand 'nokkukooli'

Fish worth several lakhs of rupees were left to spoil at Cochin’s Thoppumpady Fisheries Harbour after workers affiliated with CITU blocked auctions and sales over a wage dispute, deepening a crisis for purse seine operators and associated labourers.

- HD Bureau

The ice in storage containers melted while the catch lay unsold, forcing fishermen to offload their cargo at throwaway rates to fertiliser firms.

Boat owners say the blockade stemmed from demands by dock workers for nokkukooli — specifically, a claim on 2 percent of auction proceeds even when they are not involved in the core tasks of fishing or unloading.

Jackson Pollayil, president of the Kerala Swathanthra Matsya Thozhilali Federation, warned that unless the standoff is resolved, the purse seine fleet—supporting more than 120 vessels and tens of thousands of jobs—is “on the verge of collapse.” He voiced concern that many fishermen might abandon the method entirely and seek alternate livelihoods.