Valsad: Fishermen from Valsad and nearby regions of South Gujarat staged a protest on Sunday, accusing fishermen from Jafrabad in Saurashtra of encroaching upon their designated fishing areas, violating agreements, and exhibiting aggressive behavior. They claim that these actions threaten their livelihoods and disrupt the local fishing economy.

The fishermen alleged that the livelihoods of those in Umargam, Nargol, Khatlawada, and other South Gujarat fishing areas are increasingly endangered by the dominance and aggression of fishermen from outside their region. To express their grievances, fishermen from across South Gujarat docked all their boats for a day and staged a peaceful protest.

One of the fishermen leaders told the media, “The conflict between South Gujarat and Jafrabad fishermen stems from the fact that our boats use gillnet fishing, whereas they employ improper methods. This results in their boats entangling and tearing our nets, causing significant losses. In 2012, an agreement was made regarding fishing boundaries, and again in 2023, a meeting was organized by Minister Raghavji Patel at the Navsari Collector’s office. It was proposed that instead of the previously allocated 50% of fishing areas for each region, they use 60% while we use 40%. The collector gave them five days to respond to this proposal, but Khaniyalal Solanki, leader of the Jafrabad fishermen, has yet to provide any solution.” DeshGujarat