MANGALURU: Deep-sea fishing is one of the most demanding professions, requiring long hours at sea amid strong winds, rough waves, and heavy rains. Traditionally dominated by men, the field rarely sees women working on fishing boats.
Prapti Mendon (26) from Mangaluru is challenging this stereotype by working in deep-sea fishing alongside male crew members. Fishing has been a part of Prapti’s life since childhood. Her father, Jayaprakash Mendon, worked as a captain on a fishing vessel in Nigeria for 15 years before settling in Mangaluru, where he later owned fishing boats.
From an early age, Prapti was introduced to life at sea through her father, closely observing his work and experiences. Instead of developing a fear of the sea, the exposure sparked a deep interest and passion in her. Even after her family moved from Udupi to Mangaluru in 2010, Prapti’s fascination with fishing remained strong. During her school days, Prapti joined her father for deep sea fishing on weekends while continuing her studies.
Initially, her mother, Kalavathi J, was worried about the challenges and risks associated with the profession and opposed her decision.
However, after witnessing her daughter’s determination, she backed her after Prapti completed her SSLC.
Prapti later pursued a Master’s in Fisheries Engineering and Technology at College of Fisheries, Mangaluru, deepening her knowledge of the fishing industry by choosing the sector as the subject of her academic research. Her studies focused on sea processes, fishing methods, boat management, and techniques for casting and pulling fishing nets.
“The practical knowledge of fishing has helped me a lot in my education. Practising what I learn in theory has greatly supported my academic research,” Prapti said.
For the past six years, Prapti has been engaged in deep-sea fishing. On the boat, she performs all tasks like other crew members--casting and pulling nets, sorting fish, and managing various responsibilities during fishing operations.
She says fishing becomes particularly challenging during the monsoon, when the sea turns rough and weather conditions become unpredictable. “Despite these difficulties, I continued to venture out to sea. Over time, this has helped me gain experience and confidence and my father was impressed as I did not have any kind of sea sickness or fear,” said Prapti.
Prapti recalls an incident during a fishing trip to Manjeshwar, where local fishermen were surprised to see a girl involved in fishing and even asked whether she had been kidnapped.
My father always encouraged me to take part in fishing, she said. “There are challenges during the monsoon, especially when we go out in mini purse-seine boats as the sea becomes rough. But so far, we have managed those challenges and continued fishing,” said Prapti.