By Tara Chapagain

Pokhara, May 5: There are around 90 houses of fishers in Pakaudi, which falls under Ward 18 of Pokhara Metropolitan City, who have been earning their livelihood, for generations, by fishing in Fewa Lake. However, the lockdown has caused difficulties to the families of fishers as it is hard for them to afford two meals a day.
According to the fishers, they neither are allowed to fish on a daily basis nor are their fishes being sold due to the lockdown.
“At first, fishing was banned. Now, we are allowed to fish on every alternate day with two persons in a boat. Why cannot we fish everyday as this is what supports our daily household?” questioned Som Jalahari, a fisher from Pakaudi.
Som, who has to support four brothers, three sisters and his mother, says he is facing many difficulties to afford meal as their only source of income has been affected.
“Without creating crowd, there are two fishers in a boat and one net for the two. We fish from 3 pm to 5 pm and return with the quantity we fish at that time period. At night, we leave the net in the lake and come back at 5 am next day,” said Som.
According to Som, they catch around 5-10 kg of fish in one net while some days they have to return empty handed.
Similar is the situation of 22-year-old Sunita Jalahari. Sunita has been fishing in Fewa Lake for the past four years along with her husband to support her family. The duo has a son.
“We were not allowed to fish from the beginning of lockdown but have been allowed recently. However, we have no access to sell the fishes we have caught,” said Sunita.
As per the fishers, despite being allowed to fish recently they have no access to sell the fishes.
“Since we are not allowed to go to the market, we are bound to sell it through middle-men. The selling rate is low and we are bound to pay extra for middle-man due to which the income is not enough to support our daily chores,” said Alina Jalahari, another fisher in Pakaudi.
There is a cooperative – Harpan Fewa Fishery Cooperative – for the 90 houses of fishers in Pakaudi to support the selling and distribution of fishes but even they are facing hurdles to perform their task.
“In every kilogram, we pay a tax of Rs 10 which makes the government responsible to help us. We used to deliver fishes even to houses, but with lockdown the sale has been totally disturbed. There is no way to earn if fishers can’t sell the fish,” said Indra Jalahari, chairman of the cooperative.
The fishers have been bound to store the fish in their houses because they have not been able to sell them in the market.
As per the locals, the ward office had provided them half-a-sack of rice as relief. They have questioned the authorities - how long could a family rely on half-a-sack of rice.
The fishers have requested the government to either provide them adequate relief or to issue them passes or any facility so they can sell the fishes.
“The fish we can sell at Rs 300 by ourselves is now being sold at Rs 200 due to middle-man. Even when some known people come, we are bound to sell them at low price. We are facing a lot of troubles in fishing, selling and leading our day-to-day lives,” said 80-year-old Somati Jalahari, an elderly local who has lived her life fishing in the Fewa Lake.