THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Over the years, several deaths of fishermen have been reported due to various factors other than rough seas. From lightning strikes mid-ocean, heart failures to even attacks from large fish are a dangerous life-and-death battle for the fisherfolk.
“After Kannur, such cases are most reported in Thiruvananthapuram. Our neighbourhood in Adimalathura itself has seen several such cases,” says Febin Freddy, administrator of the Ocean Students Community (OSC), a group that works among coastal villages of Thiruvananthapuram. The community is working towards making traditional fishermen aware of the hazards and training them for such exigencies.
The OSC recently organised a safety training session for fishermen along with the parish officials on how to give CPR, precautions to take during animal attacks, how to respond in cases of lightning strikes, and even how to have food in mid-sea on a moving boat.
The training was attended by over 100 fishermen and OSC now plans to expand it to more coastal villages in the district. “We also want to take it across Kerala. If not, at least encourage a network of safety officers to make training modules for fishermen. The government could also help,” says Freddy.