New fishing policy raises red flags over Kerala's coastal livelihoods

Thiruvananthapuram:The Centre’s decision to allow large corporate-owned vessels to operate in the deep sea under the new fishing policy has sparked strong opposition from Kerala’s coastal communities. Critics argue that the move, though framed as a deep-sea initiative, poses a direct threat to marine resources near the shore and endangers the livelihoods of traditional fishers.

With the entry of industrial-scale vessels, experts fear smaller, traditional fishing boats will eventually be forced out of the sector. The policy is based on the assumption that India’s existing fleet, composed predominantly of small, conventional vessels, is incapable of exploiting deep-sea fish stocks effectively.

However, marine experts point out that the deep sea accounts for only around 4% of India’s total fish wealth. Traditional fishing communities worry that the high operational costs of corporate vessels will push them to exploit coastal waters as well. These vessels are equipped with high-intensity lighting systems, ranging from 1.5 to 4 lakh watts, to attract fish in large volumes, raising fears of rapid depletion of near-shore stocks.

India currently has 3,14,677 fishing vessels operating in its waters, while experts suggest that sustainable fishing would require only about 93,287 vessels. The entry of large corporate ships into this already crowded marine space could accelerate resource conflict and sabotage the marine ecology

Fishermen’s organisations warn that the policy could displace nearly 1,000 vessels presently engaged in deep sea fishing, affecting the livelihoods of thousands of workers.

India’s marine fisheries sector supports about 40 lakh active workers and directly or indirectly sustains the lives of nearly 4 crore people.

Deep Sea Fishing Targets Set by the Centre:
2025: 1 lakh tonnes
2026: 2.5 lakh tonnes
2027: 5 lakh tonnes
2028: 10 lakh tonnes