War clouds have now cast a shadow over the fishing community. The Akhil Maharashtra Machhimar Kriti Samiti (AMMKS) has issued an urgent appeal to the central and Maharashtra government to intervene in the mounting fuel pricing crisis that threatens to anchor the state’s fishing fleet indefinitely.

Devendra Damodar Tandel, AMMKS president, said, “Following the escalation of the Iran-Israel conflict… while retail prices at petrol pumps remain stable for the general public at approximately Rs 90.03 per litre, the price for fisheries co-operative societies has skyrocketed to over r112 per litre. Because fishing co-operatives are technically classified as ‘bulk consumers’, they are currently facing a surcharge of over Rs 22 per litre.”