Napoleon, a 43-year-old from Omanapuzha in Alappuzha, started his life as a fisherman when he was 15. But now, he is pursuing other jobs such as coconut tree climbing, neera tapping and construction work to earn his livelihood. He rarely follows his traditional job – fishing. Reason: Insecurity and ever-dwindling catch. I almost abandoned the job of a fisherman due to insecurity. I used to get below Rs 250 from fishing on many days. Some of the days I had to return from the sea without any catch. I cannot assure a minimum income for my five-member family through fishing. So I abandoned fishing and selected another job. If I climb a coconut tree I will get Rs 50. I will get Rs 500 if I climb 10 trees, he said. Nishant, a native of Thottapally, and Raju of Arthunkal too face a similar situation. They have abandoned fishing for construction work. They too cited shortage of fish and low price as the reasons to move away from fishing. As per the records available with the Kerala State Fishermen Welfare Fund Board about 2.5 lakh traditional fishermen have been registered with it. But the actual number is much low because traditional fishermen have registered their name with the board for garnering various relief funds. The fish wealth in Kerala has also diminished by 35 percent in the last five years. In 2011, the catch of Kerala was 7.43 lakh tonne and in 2015, it was reduced to 4.82 lakh tonne. Jackson Pollayail, secretary of the Kerala Swathanthra Malsyathozhilali Federation said the number of original traditional fishermen is below 2 lakh now. Many fishermen are seeking other jobs due to the insecurity. In 2000, the number of traditional fishermen was about 10 lakh, The shortage has pegged back the traditional industry – one of the major revenue earning sectors in the state. The exploitation by the middlemen is also a big problem. The change in climate has reduced the fish wealth drastically on the Kerala coast, said Jackson.
2016, The New Indian Express.