Shivakumar tours Mangaluru harbour at dawn, meets fishermen, traders

Mangaluru: Chief Minister D K Shivakumar reached the Mangaluru fishing harbour around 5 am on Saturday, accompanied by minister U T Khader, local leaders and members of the Dakshina Kannada Trawl Boat Fishermen’s Association.

He moved along the jetties and dock areas, checked fishing operations and the morning’s catch, and asked about daily work, harbour amenities and difficulties confronting the fishing community. Shivakumar spoke with fishermen, fish sellers and trade-association representatives to grasp their worries, then lifted a large kingfish that had just come in.

Addressing reporters on the spot, he said the purpose of the stop was to learn the actual conditions of people who catch, sell and trade fish.

Community representatives placed several requests covering harbour infrastructure and livelihood questions. Shivakumar replied that the government would study those requests and aim for lasting remedies.

He objected to accounts that ordinary trading had stalled after he arrived. He instructed the Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner and the Mangaluru Police Commissioner to file a report and warned that officials would face action if security measures had needlessly frozen normal harbour business.

“Mangaluru’s relationship with the sea is generations old. The sea has shaped this city, sustained its families and powered its economy for generations. We have announced several measures to strengthen this and we are committed to building a stronger, more prosperous coast - with better infrastructure, stronger livelihoods and greater opportunities for the people who call it home,” he later said in a social media post.

The stop followed Friday’s Cabinet sitting in Mangaluru, where coastal-development ideas were taken up. Among points raised during the harbour round were a specialised university for maritime studies, fishing culture and the blue economy, plus higher student intake in maritime courses. Passenger and cargo water transport, including a sea-metro scheme, was also mentioned as a way to improve coastal links.

On harbour works, he noted calls to dredge the estuary mouth known locally as Alve Bagilu and to ease boat-parking shortages. He said the government would also review better amenities for fisherwomen, specialised hospital testing and dedicated ambulances. Officials briefed him on how the harbour runs and what facilities it already offers. The outing formed part of the state’s wider push on coastal infrastructure and fishing-community concerns.

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The Hans India