Not too long ago, the oil sardine was A Ilavarasu’s main catch. A country boat fisherman from Rameswaram, he says it is no longer the case although he recalls with optimism that three weeks ago his uncle netted a mini-bonanza of the fish, which he sold for Rs 5,000. Out of the more than 750...

Chinnapaalam is a small fishing hamlet near Pamban. The menfolk are countryboat fishermen while the women go to nearby islands like Krusaddai to collect seaweed. They go on coracles to the islands. In Thangachimadam, Pamban and Mandapam, seaweed is grown for commercial use. “We collect mainly...

Ockhi was a landmark in the history of Kanyakumari. Home to one fourth of the fishermen population in Tamil Nadu, the district saw its people are at the mercy of forces of nature. Hundreds of Kanyakumari fishermen are still considered missing – their near and dear presume they are dead – and...

Twelve Rameswaram fishermen arrested by Sri Lankan Navy have been charged under a new Sri Lankan law that prescribes harsh punishment for fishing in Lankan waters. The fishermen were produced at a court in Mannar and the hearing was postponed to Friday. The Indian High Commissioner’s plea that...

The issue of formalin, a toxic chemical used to preserve human bodies, being used to preserve fish has got much media attention. Starting with Kerala, where fish from Tamil Nadu allegedly contained traces of formalin, reports of formalin being detected have surfaced in Tamil Nadu also. Fish...

What happens to the 12 Rameswaram fishermen arrested by Sri Lankan Navy last week may well decide what happens to fishing in the island. A new law passed by Sri Lankan Parliament that imposes harsh punishment on foreign fishermen looms over these fishermen. “We will know on July 12 what the Sri...

Thottiyadu is barely 55 km from Vizhinjam, the site of an upcoming port in Kerala. The port is coming up at a cost of Rs 7525 crore and is owned by the Kerala government and Adani Group. Vizhinjam sparked a controversy in Kerala owing to its environmental impact. While the issue has settled...

Pattinapakkam in Chennai must be among the most severe cases of sea erosion, going by the accounts of fishermen in that village who say that the sea that used to be 500 m away from their homes is now just 60 m away. “We put up sand bags to prevent sea water from coming into our house but it...