In Shandhakuda, a bustling habitation of fisherfolk in the port town of Paradip on India’s eastern coast, Chavakula Tatababu, 46, is frantically making calls to his crew aboard a fishing vessel. He awaits updates on their catch from the depths of the Bay of Bengal. It is the beginning of April, and the ban on shoreline fishing scheduled from April 15 to June 15 will soon kick in.
Disappointment sets in as reports from the seven crew members navigating the waters off Paradip, Odisha, indicate no significant haul. Tatababu, having already invested ₹30,000 in diesel and other provisions for the crew, anxiously calculates the potential loss. Without a catch worth ₹1 lakh in the deep sea, up to 100 kilometres out, this fishing expedition is poised to yield no substantial returns.
“The government will compensate us with ₹3,500 but that is not enough for a family of four,” says Tatababu, who is a second-generation migrant marine fisherman, one of about 400 hailing from neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, who came to Odisha when the life was easier here.
While Tatababu, who owns four wooden boats, each about 45 feet in length, with his three brothers, is accustomed to the inherent challenges in the trade, the cumulative pressures have become overwhelming, prompting him to think about alternative livelihood options. “There are several companies here, perhaps in the future I will get a job in one of them,” he says, unsurely.
A combination of unsupportive government policies, unpredictable shifts in weather and sea pollution have exacerbated Tatababu’s challenges. So acute is the problem that the marine fisherfolk and trawler operators have threatened to boycott the upcoming elections in a desperate plea to bring their hardships to the fore.
Along the coastline, especially in Odisha, bans on fishing for various reasons are taking a toll on the sector that contributes ₹3,500 crore annually to the economy, and supports over 15 lakh marine and inland fishermen and allied sectors, as per the State Directorate of Fisheries. Blessed with a long coastline of 480 km, Odisha is one of the important maritime States of the country, with 1,15,228 marine fishermen.
There are 1,714 mechanised fishing trawlers, along with 10,359 motorised boats and 3,868 non-motorised fishing boats engaged in marine fishing, as per the Odisha Marine Fish Producers’ Association (OMFPA). The organisation of boat owners and fisherman estimates the value of marine fishing vessels at around ₹1408.82 crore, with a total investment of ₹1,341 crore in ancillary industries like cold storage, ice plants, and processing plants. They want the State government to devise a strategy to make the sector sustainable.
Incomes crunched
The stakes are particularly high for OMFPA president Srikant Parida, who owns eight trawlers, each of which costs between ₹30 lakh and ₹1 crore. The reason he’s invested in them is, “The fish we get in a trawler amounts to about 8 tonnes, against a couple of tonnes from smaller mechanised boats,” he says. “If the fish catch fails to meet expectations for any reason, I will lose ₹1 lakh per voyage.”
Crew members take 14% of the earnings from the catch. Trawlers usually stay out on the water for at least a week, while a traditional boat will stay out for four to five days. Nets are different for both, as is the amount of ice they carry.
In the coastal village of Gandakipur, 20 km from Paradip, where fishermen are the dominant community, Hiranya Behera, 43, owns four fishing trawlers, all acquired second-hand. “Marine fishing has become like a gamble for us,” Behera explains. “Our catch depends largely on luck. We often have to travel long distances in the search of fish, burning fuel and facing financial losses in the process.”
Behera isn’t just concerned about turning a profit from his fishing venture. Around 30 other fishermen employed by him who embark on fishing expeditions worry about the sustainability of their profession. “Since 1992, I have spent most of my life out on the decks of trawlers scouring the vast waters of the Bay of Bengal for fish. Fishing is all I know,” says Mukund Das, a trawler driver.
“But the way things are going, with marine fishing becoming increasingly unprofitable, I am afraid many trawler operators will abandon this livelihood,” Das adds.
Hundreds of members of the OMFPA staged demonstrations in Bhubaneswar in March, highlighting their grievances. Subsequently, they convened a meeting in Paradip to further emphasise their plight. After the model code of conduct for the upcoming elections came into force, with accompanying restrictions on the State government, marine fish workers have opted to delay their agitation until the second week of June, anticipating the new government will look at their problem afresh.
“Approximately 1.2 million families rely directly and indirectly on marine fishing and related activities in Odisha. With the ₹1,400 crore trade facing increasing unsustainability due to various factors, it’s imperative for the government to adopt empathetic measures to avert the sector’s collapse. This sector significantly contributes to foreign currency earnings and warrants urgent support to ensure its stability,” says Parida.
Protecting turtles
Trawlers, motorised vessels, and those using mechanised fishing techniques are prohibited from fishing 20 km from the part of the sea coast comprising the sea turtle congregation area and their buffer zones. These fall in the vicinity of the mouths of three rivers — Dhamra, Devi, and Rushikulya — for seven months, from November 1 to May 31.
This measure is implemented to provide a secure nesting environment for the endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles, sanctioned under Sections 2, 7, and 4 of the Orissa Marine Fishing Regulation Act, 1982 and Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Besides, a year-long ban remains operational within a 20-kilometer of the Gahirmatha sanctuary, where crocodiles breed, in Kendrapara district, in the northern part of Odisha.
Traditional fishing families receive ₹15,000 as compensation for the seven-month ban period imposed for turtle conservation. Kambal Subarao, a traditional marine fisherman, points out that not all fisherfolk along the Odisha coast receive this compensation.
While the OMFPA understands the importance of protecting the turtle, it has contested the rationale behind the fishing ban, questioning the absence of scientific studies on turtle migration patterns and fish breeding seasons.
Diesel distress
Another problem is the congestion on the free water area by trawlers from Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and West Bengal. To circumvent the 20 km-restricted area, trawler operators and traditional boaters spend heavily on diesel. It is always difficult to identify prohibited areas on the vast waters. The association talks about the seizure of trawlers for the violation of prohibition.
“We spend 100 to 150 litres to avoid the 20-km prohibited zone. For small boats, the volume of diesel comes to 100 litres per voyage; for trawlers this could go up to 200 litres. This is an additional burden on us. Plus, there is a dwindling of stock near the Odisha coast, which also causes further consumption of diesel, as we need to go deeper into the sea,” said Parida.
The primary demand of the association is tax exemption on diesel prices, which significantly impact operating costs. According to the OMFPA president, the annual consumption of diesel by various boats amounts to 55.36 crore litres, valued at over ₹5,259 crore. However, the State government’s 28% tax levy amounts to ₹1,472 crore, posing a considerable burden on fishers.
“Andhra Pradesh has granted an exemption of approximately ₹9 per litre on diesel. This subsidy has lowered operational burden to some extent, considering the extensive reliance on fuel in our operations,” says Vasupalli Janaki Ram, the president of the Andhra Pradesh Mechanised Boat Owners’ Association.
The fishing voyage is further affected by the vagaries of nature. The Odisha coast records the formation of seven to eight low pressure areas from June to September. As per India Meteorological Department warnings, fishermen cannot venture into the deep sea during extreme weather events. On an average, 20 days of fishing are affected on account of these low-pressure areas that cause heavy rain.
Industrialisation excreta
After facing numerous prohibitions and interruptions, marine fisherfolk find themselves restricted to just two months, primarily September and October, to pursue fishing full time. However, their challenges extend beyond this narrow window. The gradual industrialisation along the coastline has severely impacted fish populations.
“Indiscriminate discharge of wastewater into the sea kills and drives away smaller fish close to the shore. It also negatively impacts fish breeding and fish population. It particularly impacts small fishermen,” says Aurobinda Swain, general secretary of the OMFPA.
In Odisha, around 102 species of fish are caught, of which important varieties include hilsa, pomfret, seer fish, catfish, sciaenids, mackerel, and elasmobranchs. High-value varieties of fish and prawns are exported from Odisha.
Duryadhan Ray, 54, has remained in the trade as a trawler operator and marine fish exporter since 1988. “I have seen the golden era when trawlers used to return to coast loaded heavily with prawns, crab, and fish. We can see the difference now at Paradip Fish Harbour. The fish landing has drastically come down,” he says.
Bijay Kar, assistant fishery officer, Paradip, acknowledges growing difficulties in the sector. “The fishing ban has been imposed for a greater cause. What has emerged as the biggest challenge is not ban itself, but coastal industrialisation and its resultant pollution,” says Kar.
