THOOTHUKUDI: The Periyathalai shoreline is alive with the sound of crashing waves when a silhouette emerges in the faint glow of the moonlit sky, balancing fishing nets on her shoulder as the salt-laden wind whips around her.
It is common for people on the seashore to carry a fish basket on their heads, but carrying fishing nets on their shoulders is uncommon.
Subiksha, a 23-year-old fisherwoman, moves with the ease of someone born to the sea. A fibre craft boat waits at the water’s edge, bobbing against the fierce waves. As her father and brother push the vessel into the surf, Subiksha climbs aboard, ready to chart yet another daring voyage into the dark, unpredictable waters.
Unlike most women in her village, who stick to selling the day’s catch on the shore, Subiksha has embraced the life of a full-fledged fisherwoman — a role traditionally reserved for men. From casting nets to hauling them back with precision, she has defied societal norms to claim her place in the deep blue, where every journey is a test of endurance and skill.
For Subiksha, the sea is both a challenge and a calling. Fishing isn’t just about physical strength; it demands courage and precision, she says. Over the past two years, Subiksha has joined her father, J Kumar, and brother, K Leander (22), in their fishing trips, defying high waves and stormy weather. The family ventures as far as 12 nautical miles into the sea, leaving at 1 am and returning by 10 am.
Her first experience at sea was anything but ordinary. “It was a dark, moonless night and the stars shone like scattered diamonds. I was mesmerised by the beauty of the deep sea but terrified by the towering waves that lifted the boat and dropped it sharply,” she recalls. Despite her initial nerves, she didn’t succumb to nausea—a rite of passage that convinced her father to let her continue fishing.
Her father, however, was reluctant at first. “The coast off Periyathalai is among the most violent on the Coromandel coast, with strong waves and challenging conditions. I didn’t want her to face these risks,” says Kumar. But Subiksha’s persistence eventually won him over.
Fishing in open waters comes with its share of hardships. “I engage in all kinds of fishing — catching crabs, squid, and different types of fish like salai (sardines), ayilai (mackerel), and pei salai (Indian oil sardines). Each requires a specific type of net and varying distances of travel,” she explains.
The sea, however, is unpredictable. There are days when the catch is plentiful and others when they return empty-handed. “I’ve seen my father come home with nothing but a heavy heart. Now that I’ve experienced it, I share his pain,” she says.
As a woman in a predominantly male domain, Subiksha faces unique challenges, including the lack of basic facilities on board. “Attending to nature’s call in the middle of the sea is one of the hardest things, but I’ve learned to manage,” she admits.
A graduate in English literature, she briefly worked at a private bank and a finance firm in Thoothukudi before returning to her true passion. Today, she is not only a fisherwoman but also a successful seafood entrepreneur. She produces seven varieties of fish pickles, including dry fish, tuna, prawn, and kingfish pickles, which she sells locally and via Instagram. Her products have even found buyers among seafarers travelling to foreign countries.
She is also a budding ‘sea vlogger’, documenting the life of fishermen and the raw beauty of the sea. Her YouTube channel boasts of 2.55 lakh subscribers, while her Instagram account has 1.34 lakh followers. “I want to show people how fisherfolk risk their lives to provide protein-rich food,” she says.
Her videos capture everything from the fury of the waves to the intricate techniques of fishing, offering a window into a world few truly understand.
“I want to travel to various fishing hamlets and learn different methods of fishing,” she says.
As the boat glides back to shore, Subiksha carefully sorts the fresh catch, her hands deftly separating crabs, squid, and shimmering fish from the nets. The salty breeze carries a sense of accomplishment. For ages, women have been confined to the shore, even though fishermen themselves call the sea a mother — nurturing yet tempestuous, boundless yet grounding. Subiksha, however, has rewritten the narrative, proving that women can venture into the mother sea and return with its bounties.
As she steps on to the sand with the day’s catch, her journey speaks of breaking barriers and reclaiming a legacy that was always hers to claim.
(Edited by Adarsh T R)