Portraying a Vulnerable Fishing Village – A Case Study of Elamkunnapuzha Fishing Village, Kerala

International Journal of Economics and Management Studies

© 2019 by SSRG - IJEMS Journal

Volume 6 Issue 5

Year of Publication : 2019

Authors : Ramees Rahman M and Meera Bai. M

10.14445/23939125/IJEMS-V6I5P104

How to Cite?

Ramees Rahman M and Meera Bai. M, "Portraying a Vulnerable Fishing Village – A Case Study of Elamkunnapuzha Fishing Village, Kerala," SSRG International Journal of Economics and Management Studies, vol. 6,  no. 5, pp. 18-26, 2019. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.14445/23939125/IJEMS-V6I5P104

Abstract:

Indian fisheries sector is vibrant enough to provide dependency for over 14.5 million people across the country for their livelihood, with an annual marine fish production of 3.83 million tonnes in 2017. Kerala stood third in the fish producing states of the country with a contribution of 5.85 lakh tones. Nevertheless of adorning the highest literacy rate in the country, the state of Kerala is having the marginalization hiccup in the case of fishermen community. The fishermen of Kerala are marginalized far way behind with comparatively lower level of literacy rate and educational attainment which limits them with minimal alternative livelihood options. Along with these, climatic changes also affect the sector a lot and make the fishermen’s life more vulnerable. This study examines the effect of climate change over the fishermen families of the Elamkunnapuzha fishing village in Ernakulam district, Kerala. The district possesses around 10% of the fishing villages and 8% of the fishermen families of the state. Elamkunnapuzha village is one of the major fishing villages from the South West hotspot regions of India. Even though the village is having a century old fishery culture and a strong emotional attachment to the fishing job, people are not ready to direct their young generation into this sector which indicates the higher level of vulnerability prevailing in the sector. As the first of its kind conducted at one of the most vulnerable marine hotspots of Kerala and which explains the problems, prospects of the inhabitants in the sector, the study has its own relevance as a basis to develop proper adaptation mitigation strategies for the fisher folks.

Keywords:

Fisheries, Socioeconomics, Fisherfolks, Vulnerability, Fishing village, Community development, Kerala fisheries, Fishermen community

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