Idling boats leave fishers in deep waters

With an unprecedented dip in fish availability, vessels have stopped venturing into the sea

Hit hard by an unprecedented dip in catch, majority of the fishing boats in Kerala are lying idle for the last few days generating anxiety in the sector. While 80% of the trawlers have stopped venturing into the sea, traditional fishers say there has been an alarming decline in the availability of pelagic fish species such as mackerel and sardine. Though the annual lean season is not over, the fishers say they are facing a fish famine for the first time in several decades. They also feel that this drastic depletion may hint at a change in marine environment and its capacity to replenish fishery stocks. “Along with the low availability of fish, the hike in fuel price has left us in a difficult spot. The diesel price was around ₹62 last year, but now it has touched ₹86 which makes a huge difference in total expenditure. If we can’t return with a reasonably good catch, the result will be mounting debts and we have decided to stay off waters due to this,” says Peter Mathias, president, All Kerala Fishing Boat Operators Association.