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The state had earlier entered into a deal with a US entity to conduct fishing in the deep seas off the Kerala coast apart from carrying out fish processing on the shore.
Fisherfolk in the southern part, around Vizhinjam in Thiruvananthapuram,are facing an increasingly shrinking fishing space.
Vlogger Sebin Cyriac, who runs the YouTube channel 'Fishing Freaks', had also accompanied the 50-year-old as he ventured out into the Arabian Sea along with several fishermen.
Rahul Gandhi has also interacted with the fishermen at Thangassery beach in the district. During the interaction, Gandhi said he always wanted to experience the life of fishermen.
The fishermen who ventured into the sea as usual didn't expect such a rare catch.
Many fishing days were lost over two years due to floods and continuous rains. The situation worsened due to the COVID-related restrictions.
Vizhinjam on Monday was witness to the marine phenomenon of chakara (mudbank formation) when large number of fish are found near the coast.
The ICG, in a release, said at least 55 fishermen on board 14 boats were in distress close to the Kerala coast after deterioration of weather since Sunday.
The Coast Guard and marine enforcement personnel are carrying out the search operations. The help of the Navy has also been sought.
The number 10,000 has been notched up in less than 49 days. On July 1, three months after the first COVID case was reported in the district on March 13, there were just 228 confirmed cases.