SOCIO ECONOMIC CONDITIONS OF FISHERMEN

Transcription

1 CHAPTER II SOCIO ECONOMIC CONDITIONS OF FISHERMEN

2 CHAPTER - II SOCIO ECONOMIC CONDITIONS OF FISHERMEN Technology and technological change are the main two aspects for economic growth and development. The invention or innovation made the technological change that leads to an operation. The potential benefit of any technology is analyzed accessing the benefits of end users. The end users should capable of absorbing skills of using that technology is also very much important. Fisheries sector in India occupies a significant role in the social and economic development. Fishing has been an occupation of coastal people of India from time immemorial. Fishing is an integral part of the country s maritime culture and making significant contribution to the Indian economy.fishing has a record of creditable service to the country by providing cheap protein to the common masses offering considerable employment opportunities especially to the rural backward communities living along the coast and earning valuable foreign exchange for the nation. 2.1 Fishermen in India Fisheries sector is one of the promising subdivision in the Agricultural sector of India. The fishing sector is recognized as a major income and employment generator to the rural poor of the nation as well as it stimulates development of a number of subsidiary industries. It is also a source of cheap and nutritious food with high caloric value and also a source of foreign exchange of country. Fisheries sector contributes significantly to the Indian economy by providing livelihood to approximately million people 1. India is the second largest fish producing nation in the world. India is also a major contributor of fish through aquaculture and have second rank in the production in the world after China. The total fish production in India during is Million Tonnes (MT) including 6.57 Metric tonnes from Inland sector and 3.49 metric tonnes from Marine sector. Inland fisheries sector has a share of about 65% in total fish production of the India. In the year , Gujarat was the 1 Sabu, M., Shajumon,C.S (2014). Socio-economic Impact of Information and Communication Technology: A Case Study of Kerala Marine Fisheries Sector, 4(2)

3 highest contributor to the marine fish production of India followed by Kerala. Fisheries sector contributes 1% to the overall GDP and 5.5% of the GDP from Agriculture and allied activities. During , export of marine products from India was 10, 51,243 tonnes valued Rs. 33, crore. It shows a growth of 10.6% in the value of exports. But the socio-economic conditions of the fishermen in India are very low. They are lacking the culture of education, and live under improper housing conditions. They normally living in the narrow strip of land as crowded without proper sanitation facilities that leads to health issues among fishermen in India. Due to the low income of the family, they does not have sufficient basic facilities in their houses, they need to support a large number of family members that compel the fishermen to borrow credits to fulfil their basic needs. Kerala is the one of the major coastal state of India. The socio economic conditions of fishermen in Kerala is not different from these. 2.2 Fishermen in Kerala Kerala is the one of the major maritime state in India situated at the south western end of the Indian peninsula with vast variety of marine species. The south west of marine states of India comprising Kerala, Karnataka and Goa. Kerala is one of the largest contributor to the total marine fish landing in India The state of Kerala is rich in fisheries wealth with a coastal line of 590 kms. Kerala plays a significant role in the marine Indian economy. The Western coast of India including Kerala is very rich in marine wealth among that Kerala s contributions is very high. One of the major specialty of marine fishing sector of Kerala coast is the formation mud bank called as chakara. Table 2.1 shows the marine fish landings of the year The Marine fish landings in Kerala coast during the year 2012 was metric tonnes 2. 2 Kerala Fisheries, Facts and Figures. (2012). Department of Fisheries. Government of Kerala. Trivandrum.p

4 Table 2.1 Total marine fish landings in Kerala ( ) Sl. No Year Quantity(in metric tonnes) Source: Department of fisheries facts and Figures The fishermen of the Kerala contributes 8.8 percent of the Gross State Domestic Product from the primary sector which is very significance to the state economy. They are spread over 222 fishing villages in 9 coastal districts among 14 districts in Kerala, which includes Trivandrum, Kollam, Alappuzha, Cochin, Trissur, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasargod in 590 Kms in 102 panchayaths. The Southern most districts of Kerala are Trivandrum, Kollam and Alappuzha have a total coast length of km including 96 villages marine fisherman villages 3. The population of marine fishing communities in Kerala Having 3.03 % of Kerala s total population. Muslims dominated in the marine fishing villages of northern districts like Malappuram and Kozhikode. Christians and Hindus also dominate other parts of coastal areas of Kerala. 3 Department of Fisheries- Marine Fisheries Statistics (2013). -Government of Kerala. Trivandrum p

5 All the marine fishermen in mainly live along the narrow land in the coastal areas. The allied activities related to fishing is also operated in the coastal areas itself. Majority of the peeling sheds, ice plants, cold storages, freezing plants, processing units, boat building yards are located along the coastal areas itself. The overcrowding situation is due to the land holding pattern. This situation has some resemblances of urban slum configuration. 2.3 Socio Economic conditions of fishermen in Kerala Fishing is a male oriented activity. In which the male from different age group, income group and ethnic group join together. The fishing activity is an unorganized activity in which family and friends are involving. The satisfaction of fishermen with each trip is strongly related to the amount of fish catch they got from that particular trip 4. Development of a human being lead to a sustainable and healthy life with Safety, security, sustainability, participation human rights for being creative and productive and for enjoying self-respect. Human Development is the blend of people's entitlements and attainments relating to education, health and livelihood. Human development means increased capabilities of people that enable them to access larger opportunities in their life. Amartya Sen viewed that, the standard of living of a society should be judged not by the average level of income but by people's capabilities to lead the life they value. Also, commodities should not be valued in their own right but as ways of enhancing capabilities such as health, knowledge, self-respect, and ability to participate actively in community life. Sen also emphasizes that at the core of human well-being is freedom of choice. The social economic life of traditional fish workers in Kerala is very low. They socially belong to one of the most depressed classes in the state. The fishermen belonging to the traditional fishermen community lives with poetry. Their income and land ownership of land and housing facilities and standard of living are pathetic. Fish workers in Kerala belong to 3 religious groups-mainly Hindus, Christians and Muslims. Their social life and pattern of living three religious communities are 4 Richard, B., & Robert, H. (1986). Design and analysis of a socio economic survey of marine recreational fishing.cmfri.cochin.p.31 56

6 almost similar. Their life is centered on the fishing seasons which decide the rhythm of their life. They believes in Kadalamma the God and the mother of sea, who provides their life and belongings for their life. There is no difference between them in their income standard of living along the coast from South to North. Their perceptions about education, social, cultural aspects are almost identical. In Kerala the socio economic backwardness is the hallmark of the fisherman community. They are the socially isolated community. The prominent reason for the isolation is the outlook of the society towards the fisherman. Fishing and related activities are universally reserved for low-caste segment of the society. For this pathetic situation of fisherman community, time or place is not at all deciding factor. For example, in the 17 th century king Marthanda Varma of Travancore sold women folk of the aristocratic family to the fisherman to insult his enemies. At this time granting of capital punishment was considered as the mode of punishment less than the former one. It is clear that the social status of the fisherman has had no change basically from the 17 th century to the present 21 st century 5 The socio-economic status of the fishing communities in the nine maritime districts of the coastal belt of Kerala depicts a picture of diversity. In a nut shell the general picture of fishing communities in Kerala, exhibits their extreme pathetic living conditions. They always come in the lowest ladder of Kerala society with poor educational status and lack of basic livelihood facilities. The fisher folk are isolated from the mainstream society due to the low level of literacy and undignified mannerisms. Climatic changes and the lack of employment opportunities makes their problems too serious 6. There are so many factors such as low social status, poor economic conditions, illiteracy, heavy indebtedness, low production rate- and income 5 6 Sreeranganadhan, K. (2012). Role of cooperative socities in the marketing of fish and fish productions in kerala. New Delhi: UGC.p.13 Antony, M., & S, A. K. (2011). Communication Parameters in the Marine Fisheries Sector of Kerala a study of kollam coastal villages.p.4 57

7 influence the socio economic conditions of fishermen 7. In India majority of fishermen wanted to continue their main occupation of fishing, while some of them are really ambitious career planning in education. This means they are also realizing the importance of education Educational status Education is considered as the initial need of every human being and it act as the major source of acquiring other needs to life. Coastal community facing the problem in all basic sectors including housing, education, sanitation, hygienic issues, drinking water issues etc. Religion and caste influences the status of children. Normally in fishing community the female children have low social status when compared with male children. The communication with the children and parents are considered as a peer ground for social wellbeing. In the coastal area the communication status of children with family members were seems very low. Many children have the same complaint of their parents have no time to listen them, and they were always engaged in work and work related activities. The overall status 50 percentage children seems to be low in the coastal area and the status male children is higher than the female children 9. The cultural and religious barriers plays a significant role in the educational attainment of youth from the fishing communities. The major compelling reason for the inappropriate education of their children is lack of finance. At the same time the inadequate facilities for studying in houses and lack of attention of parents and lack of encouragement parents also plays a significant role in their backwardness in education. Now mechanization and modern education have been the major means of socio cultural change in Kerala. But the fishing community has not much experiencing this change because mechanization has not much positively affected the life of the traditional fish workers. Fishing community is traditionally lacking an Nammalwar, P., & Prakasam, R. (1979). Present Status and Problems of Fishermen in the Marine Fishing Industry.p.8-12 Vasanthi, P., Venkatalakshmi, V. and Murali Mohan, M., Fishing fathers, vending mothers and educated youth (A maritime community on east coast of India in transition), International Journal of Current Research, 7, (10). Nazy P. (2007). Status of children in the Coastal areas of Kerala. Kerala university.trivandrum. 58

8 educational culture and they have been kept aloof from the general educational situation due to certain occupational practices. Since children could be employed in fishing and fish related jobs, basic education is not felt as a compulsive factor. This perception towards education of fisher folk adversely effect in the overall educational standard of the community. But the emerging situation in the traditional sectors is quite complex. The introduction of technology and the effect of globalization have alienated the poor, illiterate and, unskilled from the fisheries sector. The interaction with outside world may have a great influence on the educational development among the children. The interaction with other people, regions and information would help in widening their outlook Housing status One of the principal reason for the poor quality of life and substandard conditions of marine fishing communities in Kerala is the crowding of the community on a narrow strip of the land along the length of Kerala s coastline. The major impact of this crowding nature of living is reflected in the land holding patterns of fishermen in Kerala. Every fishermen wishes to live on the sea front near the point where he lands his crafts and from where he can observe the sea. At the time of monsoon seasons the sustainability of their lives, their house and their land are unpredictable. As a result 222 fishing villages in 590 Kms which holds 3.01 percentage of state s population. None of these villages is more than half Kilometer wide from the sea front. In some districts like Trivandrum and Kollam they are hardly a quarter Kilometer away from the sea. The overcrowding nature leads to health and hygienic issues 10. Majority of the fishermen lives in purampokes that is the land owned by government. Lack of proper housing leads to the health issues. The health status is generally measured in Death rate, Infant mortality rate and Expectation of life at birth among others. A house fulfils many important needs especially social needs of an individual. It is one of the critical asset to own, both for men and women. As shelter, it fulfils a basic need and also provides social security, sense of identity and self- 10 John, K. (1989). Kerala Marine fisheries Development - Socio Economic Profile. Trivandrum: Centere of Development Studies. 59

9 esteem. Housing also provides opportunities for home based economic activities. Adequate housing has also an important role in the health status of occupants 11. The women in the fishing communities have an active role in the economic life and all of them bear the burden of the household worker. Their role in the social life is not negligible. According to the fishermen community the men, whose occupation at sea takes away from the main stream of society and have limited contacts with the outside world. Because majority of the time in a day they are at the sea. Behind every successful fishermen have a women in his family she is the anchor of household 12. But the advent of mechanization there is a drastic reduction in the employment of fishermen because of unavailability of fish resources and high operational cost of crafts. So there is a need of women to earn an income to satisfy the domestic needs and other unexpected expenses. Traditionally women used to get their fish for sale from the catch brought in by their husbands or relatives. But today the picture is different; they have to travel miles and miles for gathering fish. But there is another side which fishermen and women living along the coast are involved in exploiting the resources but still the resources not being fully utilized since people in the villages are ignorant about its utility and economic importance 13. Women are from fisher folk generally likes to do marketing and processing jobs related to fishing. And they were interested in starting house based ventures. The appropriate awareness campaigns to the women in the processing houses, emphasizing the importance of cleanliness and hygiene while processing the products may be organized with the help of the local NGOs who are working closely with the fishers. They can be provided adequate support, both financial and technical, to form in to SHG so that they can take up suitable processing and handling methods and improve their income to upgrade their standard of living Economic Review. (2003).Kerala State Planning Board. Trivandrum. Chapter 13, p C S Ambili (2007). Educational performance of marginalized groups- A case study of traditional fisherfolk. Kerala: Kerala University. Trivandrum Immanuel, S., & Sathiadhas, R. (2004). Employment potential offisherwomen in the collection and post harvest operations of seaweeds in India, 26, p Narayankumar et al.(2005). Fisherwomen's knowledge and practice alternative income generating activities: A case study in A.P., Fishing Chimes, Vol.25(4).(July). 60

10 There is a need of enhancing women's access to resources for better quality of life through adoption of technologies which are feasible for them so that there should be an increase in their family income through the skill development and income generating activities Socio Political status Fish workers are a marginalized group in the political life of Kerala. They are considered as vote banks of the political parties.but none of them have done anything substantial for improving the life of the fish workers. Despite the fact that the fishing communities have been consistently faithful to their respective political parties very little has been done for them. The level of political consciousness is very low among the fish workers while it is very high among the general public of Kerala. The fish workers are aware of the fish resources and its destruction by mechanized trawling.but those who actively participate in political affairs are still a small minority. The cultural life of the fish workers is closely related to their religions, beliefs and practices.the belief in God who protects human beings and intervenes in their daily life and their closeness to the mother sea are expressed in various cultural and religious symbols. Culturally fish workers community is quite different from other sections of the society in Kerala are reason in their distinct mode of operation. Fishermen in Kerala are still marginalized and isolated by the economic system. The political parties considered them at the time of election for votes. They considered as vote banks of 9 coastal districts. Because they are the 3.1 percentage of the overall population of state. Each community has its own difference in characteristics. Fishermen has strung temper that leaps like high surf but it just like retreating surf and quickly calm to the low ebb. The fishermen have the nature of sharing what he have with others. His closeness to nature and element of great risk to life makes him superstitious as he is genius and carefree. He always have very low status in the society and categorized as lower caste of society. As a community they are unorganized and isolated. Their associations are of communal nature. Religion plays a critical role in 15 Sheela.I (2008). Adoption of oyster culture by women in Kerala, 45(2),p

11 their intra community affinity 16. In fishermen villages majority waste their time by playing cards or gambling or consume the alcohol because they does not have any convince for relaxation and fun which consumes their earnings and health. There was a greater degree of social participation from the fishermen in programs organized by the researchers and also it can be treated as a better position to get information about the technologies. Most of the programs are implemented through societies and hence, if the fishermen re the member of these societies their linkage will be more (Immanuel & Kanagasabapathy, 2005) (Immanuel & Kanagasabapathy, 2005) (Immanuel & Kanagasabapathy, 2005) (Immanuel & Kanagasabapathy, 2005) (Immanuel & Kanagasabapathy, 2005) (Immanuel & Kanagasabapathy, 2005) 17. There is a better socio-economic status of fishers is reflected by increase in literacy level, reduction in dropouts, and improvement in housing type. There is a wide intra sector disparity in income between those engaged in various craft gear combinations within each sector. The seasonal nature of fishery and the risk and uncertainties associated with marine fishing entangled the fishermen in the lowincome trap. The poor economic condition coupled with the less availability of finance from the institutional agencies compel them to sustain with less equipped fishing implements, which in turn results in diminishing returns. The extent of indebtedness and the average outstanding debt per indebted households are comparatively less among fishermen as per the figures of institutional sources, but the affairs of the fisher folk are really grim as they are virtually gripped in the hands of non-institutional agencies, namely the money lenders and traders for which legitimate data sources do not exist John, K. (1981, March). Socio economic conditions of traditional fishermen. CMFRI Bullettin, 30(A), p Sheela.I, & Kanagasabapathy, K. (2005). Linkages between fishermen and researchers in marine fisheries-an analysis, (55), p Sathiadhas, R. (2009). Inter-sectoral Disparity and Marginalization in Marine Fisheries in India. Asian Fisheries Science, 22,

12 2.3.4 Financial status Income is the main factor which holds them from quitting the industry apart from occupational attachment. The average annual income is the highest among mechanized sector followed by motorized operators and low among the artisanal sector. The very specialty of the fisher folk is that even during resource depletion, they expect that a bumper catch can occur suddenly and this pulls them to stay. Above all since they have invested capital in fishing assets, it is very difficult for them to look for other jobs during lean seasons so they are very sticky to their occupation, specially the fishing asset owners. They were normally like to become the permanent employees of a single owner. In the last year 71.3 percent worked with one single owner, in the current year 70 percent of the fisher folk preferred staying with a single owner 19. Fishermen are normally attracted to the non-institutional agencies mainly because of their simple procedures for availing loans and timeliness in availing finance for meeting their immediate requirements such as operational expenses. The saving nature of the fishermen in Andhra Pradesh fishermen households indicated that 79% of them had no savings and 16% of them possessed savings of less than ` 0.50 lakhs. Lack of savings related to the need for credit for the sustenance of their livelihoods. One of the reason for the need of credit was mainly for purchase/ craft/gear repair of crafts/ gears or other fishing related equipment s (40%) followed by marriage and education expenses (20% each) 20. The fishermen were not show much interest to join in the craft or house insurance schemes. This may be because of they were not convinced about the need to take insurance coverage. While comparatively much more participation in the savings cum relief schemes because of the amount will retuned after the period of 8 months Bindu, g. (2011). Technological change and modernisation in the fishing sector: the question of sustainability. Kerala: cochin university.cochin. Vipinkumar, V., Swathilekshmi, P., Johnson, B., & Narayana, R. (2013). Coastal indebtedness and impact of microfinance in marine fisheries sector of Andhra Pradesh. Indian Jounal of Fish, 60(4), Sherry, J. (2003). Fishermen- Their social and economic development. New Delhi: Saloni Publishing House.p

13 One of the main problem of fishermen in Kerala is finance, they belongs to the financially weaker section of the society. Due to lack of finance middlemen take the advantage of their financial conditions 22. The indebtedness is the one of the major issue of traditional fishermen in Kerala. During off season and lean months as wee as the special occasions of families such as marriage, death and other religious functions of the families the fishermen are forced to borrow money from other people. The middle financers of the locality or the owner of the craftsmen become the shylocks exploited the indebted fishermen and forcing them to sell their houses or other belongings such as ornaments of family members or other valuable belongings or even to bonded their labor hours to them. They need to pay extra ordinary interest on these loans. The monopoly in the marketing of fishes are in the hands of middlemen. There are so many middlemen in the landing centers who enjoy the lion s share of profits of fish sale. They control the prices of fish coughed by the hardworking fishermen. The problem of unemployment among fisher population is very critical. The chronic alcoholic nature among the majority of the fishermen is another contributive factor for their economic backwardness. The other communities looks them with contempt and disdain that creates inferiority complex among them. Normally they hesitate to mingle free with others their interactions are mainly with in the community itself. Their interactions are almost with same type of people with similar experience, culture, and ideas. So there is no chance for motivation for them 23. The in accessibility of credit is one of the major issue of fisherwomen to start any business ventures. Lack of ownership of assets coupled with too administrative procedures denying the credit. The formality of procedures for transactions coupled with lack of awareness about schemes kept them away from financial institutions. At the same time the chit agents collect the money personally and all the transactions made orally. None of the authorized institutions by the government have flexibility Ambrose, F. (1994). Problems facing the fishermen of Beche de mer industry. Bullattin of CMFRI(46), p Jose, F. P. (1985). The Theology of the fishermen- In the context of fishermen strugles in Kerala. Quilon, Kerala: Department of Psycology.p

14 in procedures and they didn t have even flexible savings schemes especially for empowering fishermen community 24. It is a widely acclaimed fact that the good health of an economy is the reflection of good health of its banking system. The fishermen in Kerala always have the complaint of the banks have not come forward to give loans and some of the beneficiaries visit banks many times to get the loans. The bankers insisting for security for their surety. The main reason the demand of security is for easy recovery of loan from the beneficiary household. Otherwise it become much difficult to retrieve the money from fishermen. So bankers are not ready to extend their helping hand 25. Another issue faced by the fishermen is the increased price of fuels such as diesel and Kerosene over years. The availability of subsidized fuel is also very low. Because of the liberalization and the open access nature of the fish resources in the coastal waters and issuing the licenses for foreign vessels adversely affect the life of traditional fishermen. The foreign vessels with updated technologies filtering the bottom of sea. This is one of the major issue of concern about the availability of fish catch. Lack of strict inspection from concerned authorities encourages the deep sea fleets to through away the regulations stipulated by the government such as the deep sea fleets would not catch the fish from 22 nautical miles zone 26. Normally the workers of the crafts are always got a share of the value of the catch. It is not a fixed wage. In addition to a share they also get bonus for fishing trip if the sales revenue is above a particular limit. The onboard food expense is paid by the owner and in some cases this food expense is deducted from the gross income to arrive at share value. The crew share depends on the degree of mechanization. Different types of crafts have different sharing pattern. In the case of motorized sector, the sharing pattern is the owner receives 50 per cent of the share of the net Ashaletha, S., C. R., & S. I. (1998). changing roles of fisherwomen of India- issues & Perspectives. Women in Fisheries (p ). Cochin, Kerala: CMFRI. Surapa Raju, S. (2013). marine fisheries and its effect on development of fisheries : a study on motorization of traditional crafts and hsd oil schemes. hyderabad: Council for Social Development.p.14 Dhanuraj, D. (2004).Traditional fishermen folk in Kerala & their livelihood issues. CCS Research Papers. New Delhi: Centre for Civil Society. 65

15 income that is after deducting the operating expenses such as diesel, oil, food and marketing commission and the rest is shared among the crewmembers. The sharing system among traditional fishing category is very simple. There is no uniformity in the sharing system, generally with higher mechanization, the percentage of share of crewmembers will decreases. Normally the owners are expected to give advance credit to crewmembers to the extent of Rs depending on the experience and relationship 27. Kerala s achievement in social development and quality of life is inspiring and encouraging. The state has achieved a good position in human development index comparable to those of the developed countries. But the development in the rural poor of fisheries sector not leads to the development of fishermen in Kerala the fishermen have been left behind the overall progress in the quality of life of Kerala. The greatest asset of fishermen is their vast knowledge about the sea, fishes, fish habitats, currents, waves and stars. They have learned it through tradition and handed over from generation to generation learning by doing 28. One of the paramount reason for their backwardness is their unemployment situation because of the seasonal nature of the fishing profession coupled with depletion of resources, increased number of crafts and high operational cost of mechanized crafts make unable to operate their crafts every day. The real situation in Kerala is the fishing communities have not benefited from the increased production due to mechanization. They are sidelined from the overall efforts of the state to improving the quality of life. Fishermen are acting as tools in the hands of merchants because to become an owner of mechanized fishing vessel is always like as a dream, because of the higher capital requirement and operating expenses thrown away the dream of a normal traditional fishermen to own a craft and gear. Now majority of the traditional fishermen were working as an employees of the crafts. They become an instrument to thicken the pockets of big capitalists groups. Next chapter narrates the status of impact of mechanization in the socio- economic status of fishermen in Kerala Ramachandra, Bhatta. (2003). Socio-economic Issues in Fisheries Sector in India. A Profile of People, Technologies and Policies in Fisheries Sector in India (pp ). New Delhi: National Centre For Agricultural Economics And Policy Research. John, K. (1988). Kerala Marine fisheries: a historical perspective of development process.centere for Development Studies. Trivandrum.p