Fishermen of Great Nicobar Wrestle as Defective Ice Plant Cripples Livelihood

Tarun Karthick

Sri Vijaya Puram, 10 February 2025

Fishermen in Great Nicobar Island are dealing with important challenges because the ice plant unit underneath the Fisheries Department, situated at Campbell Bay, has not been functioning correctly for a number of months, leaving the native fishing group struggling to protect and promote their catch.

The Fishermen’s Committee of Campbell Bay and the Pradhan of Govind Nagar Panchayat have repeatedly raised considerations and requested pressing repairs. Despite assurances, no motion has been taken to handle the problem of  improper ice dice manufacturing.

In a letter to the Directorate of Fisheries, the Fishermen’s Committee expressed deep frustration, stating that a number of verbal and written requests had been ignored. The absence of a correctly functioning ice plant facility has disrupted the livelihood of a whole bunch of fishermen who rely on it.

“The situation is becoming unbearable. Without proper ice, a large portion of our catch goes to waste, leading to financial losses for fishermen,” mentioned a member of the Fishermen’s Committee.

The letter additional warns that if quick repairs are usually not carried out, the Fishermen’s Committee will launch a Dharna (protest) beginning on February 27, 2025. The group has given the Fisheries Department 17 days to resolve the problem and stop additional hardship for the fishermen.

With fishing being the first supply of livelihood for a lot of households in Great Nicobar, the ice plant and chilly storage facility performs an important position in preserving the standard of their catch. 

The fishermen are actually ready for the authorities to take swift motion to revive the right functioning of the ice plant facility and supply reduction to the struggling group.