The brackish water territory stretching from Thrikkunnapuzha to Thottappally used to be a rich fishing ground and a key source of income for many, but not anymore.
Salam, an inland fisher from Alappuzha, says the waterbody is slowly going fallow, threatening everything, including his livelihood and tradition. He has seen some coveted species vanishing from the backwaters while some others have become increasingly rare. Kumaran, a fisher from Dalavapuram in Kollam, is puzzled by the collapse of clam stocks. He says clam beds are disappearing at alarming rates and there is a drastic decrease in survival rates. Baby from Kumarakom, the picturesque tourist destination, feels they are headed for a piscine apocalypse. Terrified by the depletion of fishes, he says the waterbody will be beyond redemption very soon.
All the three fishers depend on Vembanad and Ashtamudi wetlands for their livelihood. The loss of faunal resources is only one of the issues threatening these Ramsar sites. Though the fishers had noticed the depleting trend some four years ago, they were hopeful of stock replenishment until recently. But now they feel many commercially important species are about to hit the critical point of no return, triggering a diversity crisis. “I have been fishing in Kayamkulam Lake for over 40 years and currently, we are witnessing an 80% dip in catch. Sustainable fishing is all theory than practice and at present the ecosystem is in a very critical state,” says Salam.
