Honnavar: About 20 fishermen were rescued from a fishing boat that was struck in a silt at Sharavati river estuary near Kasarkod in Honnavar taluk of Uttara Kannada district on Saturday evening.

According to coastal security police, the fishing vessel ‘Al-Ahmad’ belonging to Tukaram and Prakash of Honnavar, set out for fishing with 20 crew members. While it was returning with the fish catch, the boat got stuck in silt in the estuary. Other boats and fishermen rushed to the spot and rescued 20 fishermen.

The boat was damaged after it got stuck and the fish catch worth Rs 1 lakh is said to have gone waste. As silt has accumulated in the estuary, many fishing boats get stuck in the fishing port. Fishermen have repeatedly demanded the government to desilt the port, but the authorities concerned have not acted.