Since, the 1980s, as Gujarat’s marine fishing industry became among the most productive in India, the work on its fishing vessels has increasingly been done by migrant fishers from coastal Andhra Pradesh, primarily from the districts of Srikakulam and Vizianagaram. Today, anecdotal estimates suggest that in Gujarat’s busiest harbour, Veraval, alone, khalasis from AP number over 25,000. This paper documents the living and working conditions of these migrant fishers, both on Gujarat’s boats where they spend eight months every year, and back in their villages in Srikakulam. It will analyse the push and pull factors driving migration; the effects of this movement on the socio-economic conditions of the fisher families; and also the demands of the fishers from the government
