THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Eleven years, 469 fishermen dead, 160 missing, and 5,072 rescue operations — Kerala’s fishing community is staring at a mounting safety crisis as increasingly extreme and unpredictable sea conditions disrupt livelihoods along the coast. It is estimated that around 10 lakh fishermen are engaged in marine fishing activities, which accounts to around 2.5% of the population in Kerala.
The recent accidents at Muthalapozhi, Vizhinjam and Kollam have once again exposed the vulnerability of fishing vessels to rapidly changing sea conditions, while raising questions over whether warnings issued from shore are reaching fishermen in time when conditions suddenly deteriorate at sea.
The data available for a 10-year period, from 2015-16 to 2025-26, showed the scale of the challenge: while 4,67,773 lives were saved through rescue operations, the high numbers of the dead and the missing point to the persistent risks faced by those who depend on the sea for their livelihoods.
Experts have called for stronger dissemination and enforcement of sea-safety advisories, along with location-specific warning systems for vulnerable coastal stretches.
Warning vs livelihood
According to the fishing community, the problem cannot be addressed merely by asking them to stay ashore whenever adverse-weather warnings are issued. With fishing being their only source of income, warnings often create a direct conflict between safety and survival.
The fishing community has been demanding compensation for days on which they are prevented from going to sea because of official warnings. They have sought a minimum wage of at least Rs 600 a day as livelihood compensation.
The recently sworn-in UDF government announced in the recent budget that assistance will be provided for days when fishermen lose work due to weather warnings, though the exact amount has not been specified.
Jackson Pollayil, state president of the Kerala Swathanthra Mathsyathozhilali Federation, said warnings without livelihood protection were unlikely to ensure compliance.
“We cannot simply stop production. We work at sea and fishing is our livelihood. If we are asked to stay ashore as part of disaster mitigation, our livelihood too has to be protected. We should get employment protection and compensation for the wages lost,” Jackson said.
He also demanded that dedicated rescue teams, including air-rescue facilities and an air ambulance, be kept ready during the most vulnerable period of the monsoon instead of post-accident mobilisation.
Fisheries minister flags gap in marine safety system
Fisheries Minister V E Abdul Gafoor told TNIE that the rapidly changing character of the sea and the difficulty in reaching fishermen with real-time alerts while at work have emerged as key gaps in the state’s marine safety system. He said the government cannot simply blame fishermen for venturing into the sea despite warnings.
“The warnings issued this time from Alappuzha to Thiruvananthapuram were accurate. The problem was widespread and occurred across the entire stretch. We cannot blame the fishermen either because fishing is their livelihood,” Gafoor said.
He said the government was looking at ways to use modern technology to address the challenge. “We generally issue warnings from the shore. But if a sudden change occurs, fishermen must receive a warning while they are at sea, on their boats, so they can retreat or return to safety. That is an area where we currently see a gap,” he said.
Rogue waves, warming shrink safe fishing days: Expert
Director of the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) T M Balakrishnan Nair said the number of good fishing days is declining as multiple factors -- including waves, swell and wind conditions -- increasingly disrupt fishing activity. He said the future of fishing would shift from traditional coastal fishing to deep-sea fisheries and marine culture in the near future.
“Awareness has to be increased and dissemination strengthened. The information is available, but the important question is whether people are following the advisories,” Balakrishnan said.
He said INCOIS already issues high-wave and high-swell alerts and provides information to the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) for dissemination. However, he stressed the need for continuous interaction with fishing communities rather than relying solely on digital alerts.
A key concern is that generic sea warnings do not necessarily carry the same risk for all types of fishing vessels.
“INCOIS has developed a Small Craft Advisory and a Boat Safety Index, which provide information based on vessel characteristics and prevailing sea conditions. Small craft, including many boats with outboard engines, are particularly vulnerable during high waves, strong winds and steep wave conditions.
Such boats should avoid venturing into the sea under certain conditions. Wave steepness is important. When wave steepness becomes high, boats and small vessels can capsize,” Balakrishnan said.
He stressed the need to strengthen enforcement of restrictions during dangerous sea conditions.
“We can only issue advisories. Enforcement is the responsibility of the authorities. Many fishermen do not use life jackets. If they use them, they can often survive such incidents,” he said.
Muthalapozhi needs hyperlocal warning system
Muthalapozhi, where the search for a missing fisherman has continued for days, is among the locations where highly localised marine data could improve safety, INCOIS director T M Balakrishnan Nair said. INCOIS is planning coastal centres and a Centre of Excellence in Kerala to study local marine conditions in greater detail and feed the information into forecasting and warning systems.
“Muthalapozhi-specific data needs to be studied. We need a very high-resolution system there, along with highly reliable observations,” Balakrishnan said. INCOIS had also discussed with KSDMA a proposal to install equipment at Muthalapozhi. Such site-specific observation systems are particularly important in locations where fishing activity is dense and local geography can significantly influence wave behaviour.
Fishers’ major demands
Localised weather warning system
Emergency readiness during golden hour
Fully operational rescue infrastructure
Dedicated rescue personnel
Single-command rescue mechanism
Formal role for fishing communities
Faster access to aircraft and drones
Livelihood protection during fishing bans
Human-centric coastal enforcement
Key Concerns in the State’s Fishermen Rescue System
Delayed emergency response during critical hours
The rescue mechanism needs to become operational within the golden hour after an accident, as the chances of survival decline rapidly when fishermen go missing at sea.
Fragmented rescue system with multiple agencies
Coastal Police, Marine Enforcement, the Coast Guard, Navy and other agencies share responsibility for rescue operations. However, the absence of a single, coordinated command mechanism often leads to delays in decision-making and mobilisation.
Rescue infrastructure exists, but operational readiness is a concern
Rescue vessels allegedly face maintenance issues, making them ineffective if they cannot be deployed immediately during emergencies.
Delayed access to aircraft and advanced rescue assets
Requests for aircraft support through the Joint Operations Centre at the Kochi Naval Base reportedly pass through multiple administrative levels. Delays in approvals can hamper aerial search operations during the crucial initial hours.
Fishermen’s rescue capacity remains underutilised
Fishing communities have repeatedly played a key role in rescue missions, including deploying dozens of boats during major search operations. However, their role has not been formally integrated into the state’s disaster response framework through training, equipment and recognition.
Livelihood pressures weaken compliance with warnings
Fishermen often venture into the sea despite warnings because staying ashore directly affects their daily income. Safety advisories need to be linked with timely livelihood compensation.
Inadequate preparedness for extreme weather events
Despite lessons from repeated extreme weather events, fishermen argue that Kerala’s marine disaster preparedness remains inadequate to deal with increasingly unpredictable sea conditions.
Warning systems are not sufficiently localised
Broad coastal warnings may not reflect variations in sea conditions between different districts and fishing zones. Fishermen are calling for zonal or panchayat-level weather advisories to enable more accurate decision-making.