Absence of rainfall a major blow to fishing sector in Kerala

Kollam: The lack of rainfall and increasing temperatures in the month of August has served as a major blow to the fishing sector. Usually, August is marked by mild rainfall and breezy weather. “As the trolling period gets over, boats usually come back from the sea loaded with different types of fishes in the month of August. However, the situation is entirely different now,” says boat operators association president P Mathews.

“In the previous season, fishing boats used to make profits in the range of Rs 1-2 lakhs every single day, but now they earn only meager profits of Rs 20,000-Rs 30,000 per day. While usually the boats tend to spend around 10-11 days in the deep sea, this season they end up staying up to 13 days. While calculating the diesel expenses, salaries of the employees in the boat, and the expenses for repairing the fishing net, the season is proving disastrous to those involved in the sector,” said P Mathews.

Post-trolling season, usually there will be a surge in the number of fishes including Squid (Kanava), Shrimps (Karikkadi), and Pink Perch (Kilimeen) in the sea. These fishes are exported in large quantities as well. However, owing to the economic depression prevailing across the world, the export rates of such fishes have come down considerably. The members of the boat operators association say that it is a back-breaking situation for their business.

According to Fishfed deputy director S Prince, the sparse rainfall in the monsoon season this year is the prime reason behind the ordeal. “The water from the land which reaches the sea during the rainy season will contain minerals which will contribute to the growth of several plantlings and tiny organisms in the sea, that will serve as a food material for the fishes and also tend to help in their breeding, however, lack of rainfall has ruined the situation this year,” said Prince.