The never ending waves of trouble; Kerala fishermen suffer due to climate change

Usually, during the months of November and December, the sea would be calm and the fishermen used to net good catches. But even the seasoned fishermen are unable to understand the changes in the sea and are scared to venture out.

Thiruvananthapuram: The days of misery seem to be never-ending for the fishermen community in Kerala. They have become the immediate victims of climate change and are finding it hard to make a livelihood. In the last 48 days, the Arabian Sea saw eight low-pressure formations, forcing the fishermen to stay onshore.

In the remaining days, unpredictable weather and wind conditions do not allow them to venture out into the sea. From June to November, the fishermen have already lost 90 days of fishing. In addition to this, they had already lost 100 days due to trawling ban. Even now, they do not know when they can resume regular fishing as unpredictable weather events continue to happen.

Even when they sit at home, they cannot sit peacefully as their houses are bombarded by huge waves. The rough sea has claimed many of their belongings, including houses. "We do not want to live like this. We are thinking about why we were born like this first of all. We cannot struggle like this and live," James, a fisherman, could not control his emotions while recounting the life on the shore to ETV Bharat.

Usually, during the months of November and December, the sea would be calm and the fishermen used to net good catches. But even the seasoned fishermen are unable to understand the changes in the sea and are scared to venture out.

"Sea used to be calm during these months. But now we are unable to go fishing. You can see the bare stones and how rough the sea is. All boats are anchored on the shore," Pathrose, another fisherman says.

Fishermen say the water temperature near the shores has been going up in recent years, forcing fish to the cooler waters in the deep sea. This has very badly affected the traditional fishermen who still use non-mechanized boats for fishing. Fishermen also complain that the Vizhinjam Port construction has also adversely impacted the availability of fish in the area.

Fishermen say they themselves could not understand the changes that are happening to the Arabian Sea. They say they would see the vessels, anchored on the shore in the night, floating on the water the next day.

Added to their woes is the steep increase in fuel prices. Earlier a small boat needed Rs 4000 worth of diesel for a single trip that has now gone up to Rs 10,000 per trip.

This community once hailed as the 'army of Kerala' is cornered from all sides. They are taking loans from people whom they know for their day-to-day expenses. "We do not know how far we could go like this. This is terrible," Barnadas, another Fisherman says.