The trail of destruction caused by Cyclone Ockhi in the underwater ecosystem continues to haunt large number of fishermen in Kerala with a steep decline in the revenue they generate. Marine debris floating around the tempestuous sea after the disastrous cyclone now emerges as the biggest threat to the sustainable livelihood of the calamity-stricken community. For a single fishing net, we have to invest at least ?1 lakh excluding all the other small expenses. Now we are facing a peculiar situation where excess marine debris and floating objects in the sea get trapped in the nets and cause huge destruction, says M. Vasu, a boat owner from Kozhikode’s Beypore. No swift recovery The fish already caught in the net too falls into the deep sea with the damage created by marine debris. The 60:40 ratio traditionally maintained in sharing the total profit among boat owners and fishers too is facing a setback with the unpredicted scenario. Recently hiked diesel prices coupled with the disinterest of local buyers in consuming fish delicacies after the Ockhi calamity as well double the challenge for a swift recovery. These days, boat owners are not even interested in protective insurance schemes as the payment of annual premium is hardly a viable exercise with the poor returns from the field. How can a boat owner invest between ?3 lakh to ?6 lakh as annual premium in advance to make up the loss of an unpredicted calamity? asks Karichal Preman, an office-bearer of the Beypore Harbour Development Committee. He also points out that no viable insurance scheme is now available for the fishers to cover the damage of fishing nets. C. Musthafa, a boat owner and the local leader of fishers in Beypore area, reveals that majority of the migrant labourers who went home after Cyclone Ockhi and retuned to the harbours to resume the job are still feeling scared to put out to sea with the yet-to-be regained oceanic tranquillity. Only those from Tamil Nadu are now independently venturing into the sea without any support of the native fishers, he says adding that those from Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal are still struggling to bounce back to normalty. Compensation Fisheries Assistant Director P.K. Ranjini says the department has already forwarded the compensation requests of 25 fishers from the district to the government whose fishing nets or boats were damaged during the Cyclone Ockhi period.
2018, The Hindu