Mumbai: Coastal fisherfolk reel under losses amid geopolitical tensions, pre-monsoon showers

Sassoon Dock, Mumbai’s oldest wet dock, an enclosed basin where ships can remain afloat and be loaded and unloaded, in Colaba. File pic

The fishing community along Mumbai's coast is grappling with significant financial losses due to disrupted fishing activities caused by a combination of geopolitical tensions and unexpected pre-monsoon heavy showers. Though the entire community has not suffered losses, many fisherfolk stated that they had lost a huge chunk of their income as fishing activities were temporarily stopped almost 20-25 days before the non-fishing season. "We do not venture deep into the sea, and so did not have to bear the brunt of the recent rain. We suffered a nominal loss of Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 per day for four or five days, at the most for a week, when we were directed not to hit the coast as there was a war-like situation between India and Pakistan. On May 10, we resumed fishing and will cease our activities around June 10, like we do every year. However, those who go fishing in deep sea water have faced huge losses," said Ramesh Koli, a Worli resident who goes fishing in the approximate 27-35 km expanse between Navy Nagar and Vasai.

Fisherfolk share woes

Manoj Worlikar, a fisherman from Worli, told mid-day, "Our boats and nets are ready. But nature and politics have turned against us. Nature is angry because of human activities leading to global warming, while the recent political tensions have made it risky for us to do our already-risky jobs. We, who have relatively smaller boats, have incurred a loss of nearly Rs 30 lakh. Those with bigger boats have suffered losses as high as Rs 50 lakh, just because fishing stopped almost 20 days ahead of the regular halting time. Also, now that it rains heavily almost every day, we cannot go deeper into the sea. In a week, we will anyway stop fishing until July 31."

Rajshree Nakhwa, Colaba resident; (right) Hemant Koli, resident of Malwani in Malad

Mentioning further that March to May are the most important months for fishing, Rajshree Nakhwa, a resident of Colaba, said, "Depending on the size of their boats, fishermen in our area earn Rs 10,000 to Rs 60,000 per day. Since April 30 or thereabout, fishing activities have been significantly reduced due to the geopolitical situation. We were allowed to go fishing for a few days, but then it started raining heavily, forcing us to cease our activities since May 15 - almost a month before the regular stop period, which begins from June 1 or June 15. September to May is the fishing period, and the period between March and May is when we get the maximum quantity of fish because the weather is hot and no breeding happens during these months at all."

Hemant Koli, a resident of Malwani area in Malad, mentioned that it is not just those who catch fish who are suffering losses, but many other people dependent on them. "We, as fishermen, definitely face losses. But those who sell our fish as well as those who maintain our nets and fashion our footwear also suffer. I've lost around R3 lakh in 15 days."

‘Survival is everything'

Though fishing activities have taken a hit, the authorities have mentioned that the ultimate goal is to avoid loss of life. "Our work is to issue an advisory to the state government concerning the weather conditions. It is our duty to inform the officials if it is dangerous for the fishermen to enter the sea. We cannot afford loss of life, and life is always a priority over business. Thus, coast guards request fishermen, who enter the water despite warnings being issued, to return to their respective harbours. No one can transcend nature," said a coast guard from Mumbai.

Rs 50L
Approximate amount of money lost by fisherfolk with big boats recently