Assurance on diesel supply ends Odisha fishermen’s 18-day stir

After an 18-day impasse over diesel supply, marine fishermen in Odisha have decided to resume fishing operations following assurances from public sector oil companies that adequate fuel would be made available for deep-sea fishing vessels. However, fishing activities could not resume immediately due to adverse weather conditions and an advisory issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) warning fishermen against venturing into the sea.

“Because of the inclement weather and the IMD warning, fishing operations could not resume today. We will return to the sea as soon as the weather improves,” said Odisha Marine Fish Producers Association (OMFPA) president Srikant Parida.

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The agitation began on June 15 after the Centre imposed a temporary cap of 200 litres of diesel per day at PSU fuel stations and barred bulk buyers from purchasing fuel from retail outlets. The restrictions, introduced on June 12 to curb diversion, black marketing and misuse of subsidised diesel, triggered protests from the fishing community.

Despite the annual two-month fishing ban ending on June 14, the OMFPA continued its boycott of fishing operations, arguing that the diesel cap made deep-sea voyages economically and operationally unviable, as each trawler requires several hundred litres of diesel for a single trip.

If weather conditions improve, around 10,000 fishing vessels, including nearly 1,700 registered trawlers, are expected to venture into the sea over the next couple of days. Fisheries officials expect fish landings to increase significantly thereafter, improving supplies in the market and helping stabilise retail fish prices.

The deadlock was amicably settled after a meeting in Bhubaneswar involving senior Fisheries Department officials, representatives of Indian Oil Corporation, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation and Bharat Petroleum Corporation, and leaders of fishermen’s organisations.

It was decided that adequate diesel would be supplied through retail fuel outlets at Paradip Fishing Harbour and other fishing jetties across the state.

Deputy Director of Fisheries Bibhuti Bhusan Rout said the department coordinated with the oil companies to ensure uninterrupted fuel supply for marine fishermen.