#Fishers

Boats at the Kasimedu fishing harbour in north Chennai, where boat owners, vendors, loaders and net menders have voted for an indefinite stop-work protest.

Chennai's fishers fight on two fronts: a Secretariat on their shore and seven boats held in Andhra Pradesh

Fisherfolk from 64 villages want the government order for a new Secretariat at Pattinapakkam withdrawn, while Kasimedu's boat owners plan an indefinite strike over vessels held in Andhra Pradesh for more than 100 days.

1 October 2026 · 4 min read

A fishing boat at sunrise off Uthandi, south of Chennai. The city's shore is a workplace for tens of thousands of families.

Opinion

The coast is not empty land

A new Secretariat at Pattinapakkam and seven Chennai boats held in Andhra Pradesh are two sides of one question: does the State see its fishers as citizens or as occupants of valuable sand?

30 September 2026 · 2 min read