MUMBAI, Nov. 14 -- After four months of confrontation with the fishing community, the Mumbai Port Authority (MbPA) on Thursday moved into Sassoon Dock with the police and took possession of 18 warehouses. Evicting hundreds of workers who process the daily catch at these warehouses, the officials shut and sealed the premises. The action is rooted in a dispute over rental arrears being claimed by the MbPA, which owns 60-odd warehouses at the dock. While the port authority has leased the godowns to the state-owned Maharashtra State Fisheries Development Corporation (MFDC), the latter has sub-let them to the fishing community, which uses them as vital seafood processing units after the catch is hauled in. Angry and betrayed, and taken by surprise on Thursday, the fishers chanted defiant slogans in Marathi and Hindi, as MbPA officials marched in with a police contingent for their protection. "Sassoon Dock aapla hakkacha, nahin konacha baapacha"(Sassoon Dock belongs to us by right, not to anyone's father!), and "Kaatenge bhai katenge, macchi jaisa katenge" (We will cut you like fish!), they chanted, staging a spontaneous protest. MbPA officials arrived at the dock at 10:30am to begin the eviction proceedings. A scuffle broke out with fishermen before the operation began at noon. The port authority subsequently took possession of 18 godowns, which employed 50 labourers each, and housed 70-80 offices. The shutdown has sparked widespread concern over its economic fallout. Local fishermen estimate that thousands of people, including 3,000 women who work peeling prawns, will lose their livelihoods, effectively disrupting the seafood supply chain that supports nearly 2 lakh people. Sassoon Dock has a turnover of Rs.4 crore. Krishna Pawle, president of the Shiv Bharatiya Port Sena and a leader of the fishing community, alleged that the eviction was carried out without notice. "The ministers, who gave us assurances on the floor of the house, have betrayed us. They have tossed us onto the streets," Pawle said. The MbPA has failed to recognise the tenants under the Public Premises Act, he said. Long-time seafood supplier Gorakh Lanke, who has worked at the dock since 1975, said the closure has ruined his business. "I will not be able to purchase fish. The entire supply chain has been derailed." The MbPA issued a clarification on its website, stating that it manages approximately 1,100 fishing boats registered at Sassoon Dock and the New Sassoon Fish Harbour. The authority said it facilitates these operations by issuing licences and collecting monthly fees, but tenants must comply with the terms of letting, including timely rent payments. The port authority said the ongoing dispute involves Rent Roll (RR) No 1773, covering about 2,720 square metres. "Despite multiple follow-ups, no payments were made to clear dues," the MbPA statement read. Only the disputed godown has been sealed and that all other fishing activities at Sassoon Dock will continue as usual, the authority said....