Arattupuzha: For the fishing community along the coast here, the sea has turned into a zone of uncertainty as containers and debris from the vessel that sank off the coast continue to wreak havoc, damaging expensive fishing gear.

Several fishing boats that ventured out recently have returned with losses amounting to lakhs. One such vessel, Minnal Kodi, which was operating west of Thrikkunnappuzha, lost nearly 300 kilograms of its fishing net after it got entangled in underwater debris. The fish caught in the net were also lost, said Kayalil Anshad, the vessel’s owner. It is  estimated that weaving a new net would cost nearly ₹3 lakh.

A similar fate befell Mangalath Mahadevan, a fishing vessel owned by Suresh of Mangalam Sudhakara House. Operating in the same vicinity, the boat lost nearly half its net, roughly 1,000 kilograms, resulting in an estimated loss of  ₹9 lakh. The fishermen don’t know where to fish anymore. Even the safe zones are proving dangerous. Each fisherman is already drowning in debt and for many, the seasonal fishing window is their only shot at earning a living. Now, even that lifeline seems to be slipping away,  says Suresh.

Further south, near Kollam, another vessel Carmal, owned by Kozhukulangarayil Shiju of Pathiyangara in Thrikkunnappuzha, suffered similar damage. While operating east of Kollam, the boat lost its fishing net and related equipment to the debris.

While GPS helps fishermen identify hazardous zones in the sea and avoid them, the risks are far from over. Although the fishing ban is currently in place up to 20 nautical miles around the wreck site, incidents of damage are being reported even from well beyond that perimeter—zones considered "safe" by current standards.

The mounting losses have left fishing workers anxious about the future.