Kasaragod: When all the other fishermen use mechanised boats with all facilities and equipment for their of-shore fishing expeditions, 53-year-old Jose from Kanhangad Meenappees Beach in Kasaragod venture out into the deep blue sea alone on his traditional ‘Kettu Maram’ (Catamaran), a single-hulled raft boat made of wood.
He ventures solo into the deep sea and returns to the shore with whatever little he gets. Jose looks out for small catches as his priority has always been to get back to his family as soon as possible with just enough to sustain.
Fishing on this catamaran, made of a wood locally called ‘Chala Thadi’, is Jose’s only means of livelihood. Even when the sea turns rough and the tides are high, this raft called ‘Kettu Maram’ will remain out of danger.
Jose, fondly called ‘Josettan’ (Jose brother in Malayalam) by the locals, has been fishing using his catamaran for more than 40 years now, after starting to venture out into the seas at a very young age of 13. Jose rows his raft and ventures into the deep sea without wishing for much. Jose and his family live a single room, thatched shelter.
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One of his children is mentally challenged. Jose says, he only gets enough for the hospital treatment of his ‘sick' daughter and just enough to sustain the family. His wish is to live in a secure house with his family. None of the authorities seems to have noticed such a life and none have offered help so far.
He has the opportunity to go with the fellow fishermen on their fishing ventures on the engine boats. However, Jose has never taken that up as a possibility. Even if he ventures into the sea, he must return home to his children quickly. So, he chose to venture solo on the catamaran, despite knowing that the other fisher folks bring to the shore loads of fish on their mechanised boats.
Jose ventures into the sea every day with the only wish of setting up a safe home for his family someday.
