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Hindustan Times
13 hours ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Vacate Sassoon Dock, port authority tells fishers, traders
MUMBAI: It's well before dawn but the dock is already alive with handcart-pullers, porters, exporters – and, at the heart of it all, the Koli women. As the early catch is hauled ashore, a pungent aroma settles over the landing sites, anointing the daily ritual. Moments later, several tonnes of seafood slip into a supply chain that starts right here, at Sassoon Dock, on the city's eastern waterfront, in Colaba. Fish on sale at Sassoon dock (Hindustan Times) But the dock will fall eerily silent if the Mumbai Port Authority (MPA) follows through on its verbal ultimatum to fish traders and the fishing community – 'vacate the MPA's godowns within 15 days, or face eviction', they have been told. The threat has triggered alarm for thousands of fishermen, seafood suppliers, shopkeepers and restaurant owners who rely on the sale of fish for their livelihood, not to mention the thousands of workers who populate the supply chain, at the dock and beyond. Matters have boiled over again in a dispute that has dragged on for decades. At the core of the clash is a disagreement between the MPA and the state-run Maharashtra State Fisheries Development Corporation (MFDC) over rental payments for godowns owned by the port authority. While MFDC rents the godowns to seafood processors, the latter have allegedly defaulted on payments to the MPA over Ready Reckoner rates. The confrontation has lasted 30 years. The last serious face-off took place in 2014, when MPA had told godown users to vacate. However, a meeting with ministers in 2015 resulted in a consensus to protect the fishing industry by forming a tripartite agreement among stakeholders. Fisher groups claim that despite that meeting, no formal steps were taken over the next decade. Now, without implementing the promised agreement, the MPA is once again threatening eviction. The directive has led to a grassroots movement to 'Save Sassoon Dock'. Operators of the dock's 80-90 godowns say the move will dismantle an economic ecosystem. For each godown, at least 50 to 100 labourers are employed, rendering them jobless. Ruksana Khan, who owns Harbour Exports and supplies seafood to restaurants, says: 'I've been working here since I was very young. My entire family, including my daughter, is involved. We pay ₹ 15 lakh annually in taxes. We handle 200-300 tonnes of seafood daily. This eviction will render us jobless.' According to Krishna Pawle, president of the Shiv Bharatiya Port Sena, a federation of 14 fisher associations, a shutdown would impact a nationwide supply chain. 'This is not just about Mumbai. Seafood from Sassoon Dock is sent to Gujarat, Kerala, Alibag and beyond. Workers from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh have been working here for decades. They will all be unemployed,' said Pawle. The dock area also supports communities such as the Banjara Samaj, who specialise in shelling prawns and fish. 'We contribute to foreign exchange earnings,' Pawle added, underlining the broader economic implications of the dock's operations. He says there is no reason the fishing community should be held responsible. 'We were given these godowns to use by the MFDC. If the MPA wants to reclaim them, they should take possession from MFDC. Why are we being dragged into this?' Vasant Bhuchade, president of the Marine Products Auctioneers Association (MPAA), points out that the godowns have been operational before independence, and some families are now in their fourth generation managing them. 'Without these processing units, the seafood supply chain will collapse, and the government will lose crucial revenue.' For now, the MPA is adamant. Despite repeated attempts, a senior official from the MPA was unavailable for comment.
Hindustan Times
07-06-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Fish sale ban at Sassoon Docks causes livelihood crisis for Kolis
MUMBAI: A directive from the state prohibiting the sale of fish at Sassoon Docks, one of Mumbai's oldest and most active fish landing sites, has stirred the waters for the fishing community, especially Kolis at Colaba and Cuffe Parade. The ban on fish sales, recently imposed by the Maharashtra state fisheries department, is a first at the dock and, according to the Koli community, oversteps the annual ban on fishing during the monsoon from June 1 to July 31. While the community acknowledges the need to prohibit fishing during the monsoon months, as it protects marine biodiversity during the breeding season, they question the restriction on the sale of stored or inland-sourced fish at the dock. The move has deeply impacted the livelihoods of more than 500 Koli women and hundreds of traditional fishers, they point out. Krishna Pawle, president of the Shiv Bharatiya Port Sena, an umbrella body of 14 fisher associations, remarked, 'This is the first time the sale of fish at Sassoon Docks has been completely prohibited. Thousands of families survive on the daily fish trade here. If selling fish during the monsoon is illegal, will the government also stop fish exports and ban sales in five-star hotels or restaurants?' Pawle criticised the fisheries department's decision to communicate the ban through the Mumbai Port Authority (MPA) rather than directly engaging with registered fishing societies. 'This indirect approach shows a clear disconnect and disregard for the traditional fishing community,' he added. Vimal Dhanu, a third-generation Koli fisherwoman, said, 'Our children aren't allowed to fish in the rain and we understand that. But how come fish from Karjat and other areas are still available? I sell pomfret, Bombay duck, and prawns, earning around ₹1,000-2,000 daily. What do we do now?' For Bhaskar Tandel, another local fisher, the ban has touched a raw nerve. 'The ban has deprived around 500 Koli families of an income. But it's more than our livelihood, it's our identity,' he said. Aishwarya Randive, assistant commissioner, state fisheries department, said there has always been a ban on fishing at Sassoon Docks during the monsoon. 'This is a central government rule. The ban applies only to marine fishing not inland fishing and is based on scientific studies of marine breeding cycles.' Randive said fish cannot be sold at Sassoon Docks during this season but did not elaborate on whether it covered the sale of inland or stored fish. When questioned about ongoing fishing in places like Karjat and the Konkan, Randive clarified, 'Fishing continues in those areas because they are classified as inland fisheries. The monsoon ban applies specifically to marine fishing on the west coast, from June 1 to July 31, and will also be imposed gradually on the east coast.' Pawle pointed out that the sale of cold-storage fish, transported from places like Taloja or Navi Mumbai, has also been curtailed, a restriction not observed in previous years. 'There are no boats coming into Sassoon Docks during the ban, we get that. But even fish brought in from markets outside is being blocked. What law prevents us from selling that,' he asked. He alleged that the restriction on fish sales at Sassoon Docks is just one of many pressures the Koli community faces, including a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by an NGO against dock activities and the imposition of high rents based on Ready Reckoner rates by the MPA. 'This is a systematic effort to suppress Mumbai's original inhabitants. Does Mumbai not belong to the Kolis,' he asked.
