Fish catch dwindles as heat cuts traditional fishers’ hours at sea

Trichy: Tamil Nadu's traditional fishermen are enduring one of the harshest summers in recent years, with intense heatwaves and prolonged high temperatures making their already demanding profession more gruelling. Venturing into the sea under a scorching sun, they are forced to drastically reduce their working hours, leading to lower catches and mounting economic hardship.Every year, from Apr 15 to June 14, govt imposes fishing ban in the Bay of Bengal for mechanised boats, including trawlers, purse seiners, and gillnetters. This aims to allow fish breeding and replenish marine stocks. While the ban brings relief to small-scale fishers using fibreglass reinforced plastic (FRP) motorised boats and non-motorised traditional vessels by reducing competition from larger boats, this year's extreme heat has turned the two-month period into a significant challenge.Fishermen usually operate 5 to 10 nautical miles offshore, setting out at different times of the day and night to reach fishing grounds. However, with temperatures soaring, most now prefer to limit their activities to the cooler hours of dawn and dusk. "The heat is becoming far more intolerable than in previous years. We are mostly avoiding daytime trips to prevent exhaustion and return before the sun gets too harsh," said S Selvakumar, a 35-year-old fisherman from Chandirapadi in Mayiladuthurai district.The reduced time at sea has impacted both quantity and diversity of their catch. Fishermen report landing of predominantly one variety — mackerel — instead of the usual mix of sardines, red snapper, ribbon fish, silverbelly, and goat fish."We are getting only around 10 kilos of mackerel compared to the usual 40 to 50 kilos during this season," lamented S Anbu, 43, a fisherman from Seruthur in Nagapattinam district.To cope with the unrelenting sunlight, fishers have adapted by rigging up makeshift canopies over their boats using sails, dhotis, and sarees. While mechanised boats offer the luxury of cabins for rest, those on smaller motorised vessels have limited protection from heat.Health concerns are rising sharply. "Fishermen face a wide spectrum of health issues such as heat stroke, heat exhaustion, dehydration, and fatigue while working under the hot sun," said Dr S Velvizhi, Head of MSSRF's Fish for All Research Foundation in Poompuhar.To combat dehydration, fishermen now carry additional supplies of water, soft drinks, and even refrigerated beer. "Casting nets and hauling the catch is physically demanding. We need to stay hydrated to avoid exhaustion," said M Sivakumar, 45, from Arkattuthurai in Nagapattinam district.Elevated temperatures accelerate spoilage of fish during the journey back to shore, especially without adequate refrigeration facilities. As a result, selling prices have dropped significantly, from around Rs450 per kg to Rs250 per kg of mackerels in recent weeks. As the heatwave is expected to intensify, fisherfolk are hoping for an improvement in climate to change their fortunes.