Fishers get body parts of cyclone Ockhi victims in nets

Thiruvananthapuram: Putrefied body parts of the cyclone victims are  getting entangled in fishing nets traumatising the fishermen. 

Rajan of Kolachal, who works in the boat 'Manu Mon'  owned by Simpson, had the terrifying experience of netting a putrefied human body when he went for fishing in the first week of January. Since he had to stay on in the boat for another four days and had no refrigeration facilities on board,  he dropped the body into the sea.

"That day the boat anchored at the spot without fishing. It is upsetting that the bodies were being spotted like this," said Abdul Rahman, a boat owner from North Paravur.

 As per estimates, over 300 fishermen have not returned home after cyclone Ockhi hit the seas. 

Fishermen told Deccan Chronicle that they were unaware about extracting DNA evidence from human bodies and were not apprised about such a possibility.

"Rather than banking on the chances of extracting body parts, the government should quickly compensate the families of the missing fishermen," said Gilbert Xavier of Poonthura.

The fishermen said that buyers might be upset that the fish caught might contain human remains.

"Fish do eat anything edible in the sea but the proof that more bodies were still being spotted shows that pelagic fish do not prefer to feast on human remains. In any case, it shouldn't be a cause of concern for buyers because there are billions of fish in the sea," said a fisherman.